A river runs through it
Palouse residents prepare as nearby park begins to flood
Parts of Whitman County were expecting significant flooding Tuesday, but by early morning a revised forecast from the National Weather Service was predicting the worst of the flooding would occur today.
The flood warning was issued for rivers and lakes in Idaho and Washington, including the Palouse River near Potlatch, until late Thursday night.
Garfield Police Officer Joe Handley pulled up to an abandoned Palouse Lions Club Park on Tuesday afternoon where the Palouse River had begun to engulf the area, partly submerging tables, chairs and a windmill.
Checking flood stakes in the area around 2 p.m., Handley said water levels in the park were at about 14 feet, not affecting anything yet. The flood stage is technically 15 feet.
Handley said that level of flooding is not dangerous since water collects in the park, and he had not received any reports of flooding in individual homes or buildings so far.
Major flooding, however, remains in the NWS forecast. Palouse River was expected to rise above the 15-foot level Tuesday afternoon and to continue rising through the night and today until cresting at just more than 19 feet tonight.
According to the NWS, at 16.5 feet, water will be up to the back door of the city shop in Palouse.
Palouse Caboose Bar and Grill on North Beach Street is currently sitting pretty off of the floodplain, owner Kim Rundle said.
Rundle said it has been interesting to watch the flooding increase. Using the Palouse Club Lions Park as a gauge, she watched the water almost reach its breaking point before settling down again Tuesday.
"When you can still see the tables in the park in the Lions Park, that's when you know they're not floating," she said, laughing.
Rundle said everyone on the opposite side of the street had started moving their valuables from garages and storage units to higher ground.
"I think people are a little on edge, but not crazy," Rundle said. "I think everybody kind of expected it with the massive snowfall we got this year."
The NWS is warning people to take precautions when dealing with spring snowmelt runoff, which can be dangerously cold and life-threatening. Residents are instructed not to drive vehicles through flooded areas, as even one foot of water on the road can wash away most vehicles, according to the warning.
Taylor Nadauld can be reached at (208) 883-4630, by email to tnadauld@dnews.com and on Twitter @tnadauldarg.
