We had the second rainiest day EVER in the Seattle Area today... along with the increased runoff, it melted the snow, and the additional melt water was too much for the local rivers and streams... our county is one of several in a severe flood warning.

We live on a hill, and aren't really in a flood threat area -- it'd have to get REAL bad! 

Since we knew the Snoqualmie River was one of the rivers in the flood warning area, we took the opportunity to drive out to the Snoqualmie Falls, which is about 15 minutes from us, and check out the flow... there was a lot of water heading over them!

The observation deck shook from the thunderous pounding the ground was taking from the volume of water going over the falls.

The power station had the retaining dam all the way up, but there was no holding back the volume of water heading down the river... it was starting to flood the station, even.

The pictures below set the story... on the left, a normal flow -- taken in July of this year, when my cousin was visiting.  On the right, the flow from the same general place... what a difference!

on the way home, we stopped by the river to see just how high it was getting.

It was just coming out of its banks... we were a few hours from the expected crest, so it will likely got worse before it gets better.

A bridge on a road in the town of Snoqualmie that follows the river was closed... and homes along the river were quite a bit closer to the river than they normally are...

Its the roar of the water going over the falls, though, that we'll remember!

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