Flood — Stevens, Washington

2017-03-12 to 2017-03-31 · near Clayton, Stevens, Washington

Event narrative

Periods of heavy rain and snow melt produces numerous road closures due to flooding and debris flows in Stevens County through the second half of March. Extensive flooding of fields near the Colville River occurred. The fire station at Hunters was closed due to flooding. Near Northport a lane of flooded road collapsed under a driver, who escaped unharmed. The most notable road closure was Highway 395 near Colville which is a major route through the county. This road remained closed through the end of the month with extensive repairs needed which could not be started until soil conditions dried out.

Stevens county was included in a Washington State State of Emergency declaration as a result of the damage caused by this episode.

Wider weather episode

The month of March was a very wet period for eastern Washington. The Pullman COOP station reported a monthly total of 5.25 inches of precipitation, 2.75 inches above average for the month. The Spokane airport reported 4.11 inches which was 2.50 inches above average. The Colville COOP station reported 2.98 inches which was 1.86 inches above average and the Wenatchee airport recorded 1.23 inches, or .59 inches above average. Most of this precipitation fell as rain over lower elevations after an initial snow event early in the month.

Beginning around the 9th of March and continuing through the end of the month and into April saturated soil conditions were maintained and aggravated by low elevation snow melt and periodic rounds of Pacific moisture falling as rain over northeastern Washington with numerous small stream flooding issues, road washouts and debris flows during this period. Isolated mudslides and debris flows were noted in the Cascades as well, but the main focus of areal flooding and debris flows was over the eastern Columbia Basin and the northeastern Washington mountains.

In eastern Washington a state of emergency was declared in thirteen counties due to widespread areal flooding. In the town of Sprague 40 National Guard troops were deployed to help sandbag and control damage from a swollen creek which ran through the town.

Mainstem river flooding included the Palouse River, the Spokane River and the Little Spokane River with minor flooding on other streams, however the Palouse River achieved Major Flood Stage.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (48.0601, -117.4493)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 686380. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.