Heavy rain slams Seattle, causing urban flooding

SEATTLE - Heavy rain is sweeping through the Seattle area on Friday, creating widespread water-accumulation problems in low-lying and urbanized districts.

While rain-soaked roads and standing water are common during seasonal storms, Friday the breadth and speed of accumulation have been notable. Urban drainage systems are being challenged.

In particular, neighborhoods with older infrastructure or heavy pavement cover are seeing water pooling at intersections, storm drains backing up, and slower-moving surface runoff.

Keep reading for live updates on weather in western Washington.

8 p.m. - Rain persists overnight in western WA

After much of King County and surrounding parts of western Washington got drenched Friday morning, more rain is expected to fall overnight. However, the showers likely won't be as intense as what we experienced earlier today.

There will be fewer showers this weekend with cloudy skies as well.

4:00 p.m. - Over 50 car crashes in King County

Washington State Patrol says they have responded to more than 49 crashes in King County alone on Friday.

The bulk of them happened aroudn Seattle, Bellevue and Lynnwood. Drivers are reminded to drive carefully during wet conditions.

3:00 p.m. - Rain totals in western Washington

As of 3:00 p.m., more than 1" of rain fell in Seattle, Bremerton and Shelton. Tacoma, Olympia, SeaTac and Hoquiam all saw nearly 1" of rain.

2:27 p.m. - Reopening of Tacoma I-705 southbound ramps delayed due to weather

1:16 p.m. - Crashes snarl traffic on WA freeways

Four lanes of I-405 southbound are blocked due to a crash near Lynnwood.

There are backups and delays on SR 512 eastbound in Puyallup near S. Meridian St. as crews work to repair the cable guardrail in the median that was struck by a truck earlier.

An earlier crash on I-5 southbound near Federal Way has cleared, and all lanes are back open. Expect delays in the area.

A crash on SR 167 in Kent has also cleared and all lanes are back open, but there are lingering delays.

1:00 p.m. - Detailed forecast for Seattle-area rain, flooding

The FOX 13 Seattle weather team has been tracking the widespread rain and potential for flooding around the Puget Sound area.

Take a look at the rain totals recorded until 11 a.m. At the National Weather Service office in Seattle, more than an inch was recorded before noon. While the rain wasn't always torrential, the constant and stationary nature of the wet weather made driving a real challenge.

A good chunk of Puget Sound remains under a Flood Advisory until 3:15 p.m., and after that, less activity is expected by later tonight.

12:45 p.m. - Flood advisory issued for south Sound for urban, small stream flooding

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory in effect through 3:15 p.m. because urban and small stream flooding caused by rain is expected.

This is for portions of northwest and west central Washington, including the following counties, in northwest Washington, Kitsap and Mason. In west central Washington, King, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston.

NWS says impacts include minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas, water over roadways. ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent.

"At 10:18 AM PST, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated heavy rain. This will cause urban and small stream flooding. Overflowing poor drainage areas will cause minor flooding in the advisory area. Between 0.8 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen.

"Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are expected over the area. This additional rain will result in minor flooding. Some locations that will experience flooding include. Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Federal Way, Auburn, Edmonds, Bremerton, North Bend, Belfair, Gold Bar, Carnation, Index, Renton, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, Lacey and Lynnwood."

12:33 p.m. - Landslide risk, small landslide in Seattle

The Seattle Department of Transportation said it was busy responding to incidents all over the city.

A small landslide was reported in West Seattle. If you see a landslide, you're asked to stay away from it and call SDOT at 206-684-7623.

12:10 p.m. - Semi crash, lane closure on SR 512 in Puyallup

A semi driver went off of SR 512 in Puyallup near Meridian St. and hit the cable barrier in the median around noon Friday. Nobody was hurt.

According to the Washington State Patrol, the left eastbound lane was expected to be blocked for several hours.

Tow trucks were en route and WSDOT Tacoma was going to fix the cable barrier once the semi is removed.

10:27 a.m. - Snoqualmie road report

Transportation officials say roads are bare and wet with areas of standing water along I-90 in and out of Snoqualmie. WSDOT has a mountain pass travel time report available on their website.

9:12 a.m. - Car slides up over I-5 highway barrier

The high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane was blocked just after 9 a.m. on Friday as commuters navigated increasingly slick roads due to quick accumulation across the Puget Sound region.

WSDOT reports a car ended up hanging over the concrete highway barrier along I-5 South just past NE 130th in Seattle. 

8:54 a.m. - Crash on West Seattle Bridge

A crash on the West Seattle Bridge was blocking the right westbound lane just west of SR 99 for about an hour-and-a-half.

8:40 a.m. - Safety precautions urged for residents and drivers

Officials advise residents and motorists to exercise caution. The AlertSeattle system emphasizes:

8:30 a.m. - What this means for the coming hours

According to forecasts and past storm-behavior for the region:

• Additional rainfall could further saturate soils and drainage systems, increasing the chance of flooding, especially during any short bursts of heavier showers.
• Roads may become slick and visibility reduced; hydroplaning risk is higher when standing water remains.
• Smaller creeks and drainage channels are likely to remain elevated, potentially spilling over into adjacent streets or properties if the rain persists.
• Once rainfall eases, water may remain standing for longer periods in flatter neighborhoods or where drainage capacity is constrained.

8:25 a.m. - How residents can prepare now

• Sign up for flood alerts from King County and AlertSeattle.
• Avoid all shortcuts through flooded streets; turn around rather than risk getting stuck.
• Move vehicles off low-lying streets if flooding is anticipated.
• Clear leaves and debris from gutters and near storm‐drain inlets; blockages slow drainage.
• If your home begins to flood, turn off utilities (electricity, gas) if safe to do so and move valuables to higher ground.

Urban flooding in the Puget Sound region is not uncommon during late-fall and early-winter storms, especially when heavy rain coincides with saturated ground, clogged drains or elevated tides. Past events have shown how quickly streets can become impassable and how much strain storm-water systems can face. For instance, heavy rains and strong winds have previously caused roads to flood and trees to topple in Western Washington. FOX 13 Seattle+1
While today’s event appears within the range of expected seasonal flooding, the combination of rain intensity and urban drainage stress makes it important for residents to remain alert until conditions stabilize.

8:22 a.m. - Abby's forecast for western WA

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