Trio of storms could bring landslides and flooding

A trio of storms could hit the Washington Coast in rapid succession, packing powerful winds and possible flooding.

A flood watch began at 4 a.m. today, issued by the National Weather Service in Seattle on Monday. Impacted rivers could include the Chehalis and Satsop.

Some 5 to 8 inches of rain could fall between Monday and Wednesday, leading to possible flooding and saturated soils increasing the likelihood of landslides, downed trees and power lines.

“You guys are going to get a lot of rain — it’s going to be pretty soaking,” Weather Service Meteorologist Josh Smith said on Monday. “With all the rain you’ll be getting over there, you’ll probably see trees down and possibly landslides.”

A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flooding, but flooding is not imminent or occurring. Because the storms will reach the area with little time between them, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management is advising the public to monitor the latest forecasts and prepare to act in the event of a flood warning.

As of Monday, neither river was forecast to reach flood stage.

“A majority of the rain will fall Monday night through Wednesday,” Smith said.

In addition to the rain, sustained winds of 25-35 mph are expected to blow into the region. Gusts could reach 55 mph.

A wind advisory went into effect on Monday and will expire at noon today. Winds are expected to pick up again tonight.

The wind also will add to flooding concerns, contributing to minor lowland flooding with rain and a higher-than-usual tide.

A high wind watch, from 10 tonight through Wednesday afternoon, was issued by the Weather Service on Monday. A high wind watch means the potential of sustained winds at 40 mph and gusts exceeding 58 mph.

The first storm arrived on Monday and was forecast to last through early today. Some 3-5 inches of rain are expected along with sustained winds at 25-35 mph gusting to 55 mph.

The second storm will arrive tonight and carry into Wednesday with heavy coastal rain dumping up to 2-3 inches with sustained winds predicted at 35-40 mph and gusts up to 65 mph.

By Thursday, another storm is expected to blow in, possibly bringing gusts as high as 65 mph and heavy rain, however it was too early on Monday to completely forecast the impact.

“That one has the highest risk of winds,” Smith said. “But there’s still a lot of uncertainty.”

Thursday’s storm is a low-pressure system moving north from the southwest off the Oregon Coast. As the system trails north on a journey to Canada, it will brush by the Washington Coast.

A low-pressure system out at sea passing the coast will increase wind, Smith said.

Emergency Management is reminding residents to not use portable generators indoors if a power outage occurs because of potential carbon monoxide poisoning which can be fatal.