Mason County braces for wet conditions after river flood warning issued for Skokomish River
MASON COUNTY, Wash. - The Skokomish River in Mason County is under a river flood warning until the early morning of Oct. 30.
The river surpassed the 16.5-foot flood stage on Thursday and was forecasted to crest at 17.7 feet by the evening.
Nearby properties and roads were already experiencing flooding from the river and heavy rains. High waters were spilling into Sandra Carney’s backyard, just north of Shelton.
"It’s a little nerve-wracking at times because you don’t know how bad it’s going to get," said Carney.
She and her husband have lived on the mouth of the Skokomish River since 1959. Carney said their home was built high enough to prevent water from flooding their house However, she said water over the roads heading into town was becoming an issue.
"We had to turn around and go back around," said Carney.
Carney said she is more concerned about the other dangers caused by the wet weather.
"You have to watch for slides and stuff because there was a big slide up here yesterday. And you just have to be aware of the weather and trees coming down," said Carney.
Washington State Patrol alerted the public of a tree that fell on Highway 108 just outside of Shelton blocking both directions early Thursday morning. Crews removed the tree, but more rain saturating the grounds increased the risk of more trees coming down.
"We check and make sure the roads are open before we go, which direction," said Carney.
Officials are reminding people about the dangers of driving over flooded roads. They said it is uneasy to tell how deep the water is or how fast it is moving. Officials cautioned cars could get stuck, stall out or drift off the road due to flooding.
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