Forecasters Issue Flood Watch for Columbia River in Washington

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Unusually heavy rain and a melting snowpack have pushed the Columbia River to near flood stage from Vancouver to Longview, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters issued a flood watch for areas along the Columbia in the greater Vancouver and Portland metro areas, as well as along the lower Columbia and Interstate 5 corridor in Cowlitz County, the Columbian reported.

As of noon Sunday, the river had risen to 15.56 feet in Vancouver and covered a portion of the Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

The rising river levels follow an unusually wet stretch of weather fueled by an atmospheric river of subtropical moisture, which brought 1.44 inches of rain to Vancouver’s Pearson Field in a 48-hour period ending Saturday evening.

Flood stage in Vancouver is 16 feet, and forecasters say river levels will approach that level repeatedly through late Wednesday morning.

At 16 feet, minor flooding occurs, affecting islands and low-lying areas, with minor impacts on parks or trails along the river, according to the National Weather Service.

If the forecast holds true, this will be the highest the Columbia has crested since March 2017, when river levels reached 17.43 feet, according to National Weather Service Data.