EVERETT — The weekend’s set to have a wet start.
Heavy, steady rain was predicted to last into Friday morning. Saturday may see some showers, but then a drying-out period should persist into next week, said Kirby Cook, a science and operations officer with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“The concern is for urban and small-stream flooding,” Cook said.
Drivers should watch for water pooling on roadways and avoid flooded streets, he said. Local rivers will rise, but no major river flooding is predicted in Snohomish County.
“The big, main-stem rivers, they’re low for this time of year,” Cook said. “It would take a lot of rain to get them to flood.”
On Friday, the rain is expected to taper off and drift east as the day meets the evening. The weather service urged people to stay inside if there is thunder and lightning. As thunderstorms rolled across parts of Washington on Thursday, at least three people were reported hit by lightning.
Steep areas around the county could see mudslides, officials said.
This band of bad weather comes as some folks in the county still are cleaning up after a two-inch, two-hour rainstorm last week. Flooding in basements and at lower-level businesses was reported last week in Mukilteo, Edmonds and Everett.
Everett’s public works crews on Thursday afternoon were inspecting and cleaning out parts of the stormwater system to prepare for a possible deluge, spokeswoman Marla Carter said.
Homeowners in Everett who are concerned about runoff can pick up free sandbags at old Fire Station 4, at the parking lot on Alverson Boulevard across from Legion Memorial Park, and near Silver Lake Park, across from Fire Station 7 on Silver Lake Road.
As of Thursday evening, Howarth Park and Pigeon Creek Park remained closed due to sewage overflow from last week’s storm, Carter said. Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo has been closed much of this week as well for swimmers.
The flood watch is set to expire Friday afternoon. A flood watch means flooding is likely but not imminent.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449, rking@heraldnet.com.
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