In Sumner, through which the Carbon, Puyallup and White rivers all flow, many residents are veterans of high flooding.

“It’s starting to be an every-year thing,” James Caraway said. “I think people know what to do and are prepared.”

By late Wednesday afternoon, Suzanne Brouner, who lives in the Rainier Manor Mobile Home Park next to the Puyallup River, was still home.

The City of Sumner and East Pierce Fire & Rescue advised residents of the mobile home park to evacuate, but Brouner said she wanted to wait until her husband came home from work. In the meantime, she was trying to prepare for the worst.

“It’s coming up really fast; it hasn’t come in around my house yet,” she said. “I’m just trying to keep things up off the floor. When it flooded in 2006, I had just enough (water) in to mess up my floors.”

The Sumner School District also had its flood plan ready to go. Officials decided to dismiss middle and high schools one hour early to give extra time for afternoon bus routes. With Highway 410 closed at Milepost 9, traffic was rerouted through downtown Sumner.

While many residents braced for more rainfall, Caraway was confident about preparations. “It’s happened before,” he said. “And we’ll get through it.”