Flood warning canceled for Puyallup River near Orting; Pierce County sees water on roads
The National Weather Service canceled its flood warning for the Puyallup River near Orting on Friday morning, but a flood watch was still in effect for Pierce and surrounding counties.
Pierce County rapid damage assessment crews were deployed Friday morning to check on any damage from overnight rains and flooding. Pierce County spokesperson Erin Babbo said crews have been working all night to be able to respond to any issues.
Babbo said there hasn’t been any significant damage to report, but five roads in the county were closed due to landslides and water over the road.
Many other roads in Pierce County were reported to have water over them, according to the county’s road conditions map, creating tough driving conditions. Pierce County Sheriff’s department reminded people to not drive through water or around barricades.
The flood watch is forecast to remain in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday. National Weather Service meteorologist Mary Butwin said major rivers in the county are not expected to reach flood stage, but she said conditions can change quickly.
“Because of such a widespread rain event, we are seeing a lot of small stream flooding as well as some urban flooding,” Butwin said. “Don’t drive through flooded roads, take it easy if you are driving.”
Pierce County lists its flooding and road alerts on its website at www.piercecountywa.gov/winterweather.
Pierce County roads closed Friday:
▪ Orville Road East at 331st Street East: Closed due to landslide.
▪ Kolisch Road East at the 32910 block: Closed due to a landslide.
▪ Sunrise Beach Drive Northwest at the 10210 block: Closed due to a landslide.
▪ South Prairie Carbon River Road East from the 15500 block to 223rd Avenue East: Closed due to water over the road.
▪ 90th Street East from Golden River Road East to 9th Avenue East: Closed due to water over the road.
This story was originally published January 7, 2022 at 8:48 AM.
