An updated forecast from the National Weather Service’s Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service on Thursday morning shows that the Skookumchuck River at Centralia is expected to enter into “major flooding” Friday morning and surpass its 1996 record by about 0.16 feet.
According to the gauge forecast, waters are expected to reach 191.16 feet Friday about 11 a.m.
At 191 feet, the river will cause “major flooding in Centralia and the surrounding area. The river will flood many roads and residential areas and cover much of the farmland in the Skookumchuck River valley,” a flood impacts summary from NWS read for “major flooding” reads.
“Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters, tributaries, and other streams within and near the Skookumchuck River Basin,” the summary continues.
Upriver in Bucoda, major flooding is predicted with the crest at less than a foot below the historic mark.
