City of Snoqualmie braces for flooding

A state of emergency was declared in the city of Snoqualmie this afternoon as the swollen Snoqualmie River threatened to spill over its banks into town.

Residents in flood-threatened areas made hurried preparations to escape damage, loading goods in trucks and cars and piling them in high places to try to get above predicted flood levels.

"The point is to get it all up above high water," said Norma VanFleet, looking around her living room at the Colonial Square Apartments on Southeast Park Street east of downtown Snoqualmie.

Sandbags were piled across the front doorway and couches, mattresses, computers and other furnishings were piled on countertops and bookcases to keep them from being damaged.

VanFleet said there was some irony in her move to the apartments about two months ago, since she used to live in Oso, Snohomish County, in the Cascade Mountains, where she tended bar and which also is subject to storms and flooding.

She came to Snoqualmie to work in a new casino, she added, and had to take time off from work to deal with the flood threat.

She said she'd asked a manager at the apartments about possible flooding, since the building is only a few hundred feet from the Snoqualmie River, and was assured the area never flooded, although historical records show water often has reached the street.

"With a little luck, it won't come in," said VanFleet.

About 30 people worked through the afternoon filling sandbags in a parking lot next to a pizza parlor and bowling alley in town.

The group included children and adults, some well prepared with rain gear, and stocking caps and yellow waterproof boots, while others worked bareheaded and stood in sneakers in the hard-falling rain, using shovels to load the sand into bags.

"Anytime there's something like this in our community, we come to help," said Sharon Stai, a teacher at Cascade View Elementary School who had the day off because schools were closed because of the threat of floods.

"We've been through this a few times," she said, explaining that while her family lives on a ridge, high above the floodwaters, it's part of living in the town to come together in times of need.

"People are taking the sandbags back to their homes," explained Stai, adding that the workers didn't know how long they'd be at it, possibly in late afternoon or into the evening.

"The kids want to save the pizza parlor," said Stai.

At Sahara Pizza itself, there was little question the business would survive.

"When we're done securing the building, we'll probably go help (fill sandbags)," said David Moses, general manager.

"We've been through this two, three times," he said, in the two years he's been manager. "We probably won't pull out. We're cooking right now. You want some pizza? We can only hope for the best."

At midmorning, heavy rain was falling and "Road Closed" signs were put up on Tolt Hill Road, where the Tolt River flows into the Snoqualmie River on the southern edge of Carnation.

At one point, a silver SUV veered around the signs and headed west, passing other drivers and splashing into water over the roadway — something public officials strongly warned against because a vehicle can stall in the water and pose a danger to those in the vehicle.

The impatient driver, however, lucked out and made it throughout the water and drove off over the Tolt Hill Road bridge.

Throughout the morning, drivers cautiously drove up to the closed signs, stopped and decided whether to cross or turn back.

One driver who decided on safety was Jeff Credo, who arrived in his truck and stopped to check his maps.

Credo was trying to get from Carnation to a job in Issaquah and figured the Tolt Hill Road was a good way to go.

"It doesn't look that bad," he said, noting how he could still see yellow lane markings on the roadway through the water.

"This is usually a shortcut," added Credo.

Then he paused.

"I don't want to risk it, 'cause it's a company truck," said Credo, turning around and driving away.