City Closely Monitoring Flooding Potential and Preparing to Respond

With daily high temperatures in the Yakima area forecast to reach into the 40s over the next several days, concerns over potential flooding are likely to rise as well.  Current predictions, however, indicate the chance of any significant flooding in our area is low.

“The City’s Emergency Management office is constantly checking information provided by the National Weather Service as part of its Flood Action Continuum,” said City Manager Cliff Moore. “As of now, flows in rivers and creeks in our immediate area are showing little if any increase.  Should that situation change, the flood response protocol included in the City’s Comprehensive Emergency Plan would be followed,” said Moore.

Crews from the City’s Public Works Department and the Yakima Fire Department are making several on-site inspections of potential flooding problem areas daily and will continue to do so over the next several days.  Beginning at 6:00 pm today, Fire Department personnel will be distributing information to residents in three specific areas of the city that are nearly always at risk for flooding when flows in nearby creeks rise to let those residents know steps they should take to remain safe if flooding should occur.

“The City is monitoring the potential flooding situation very closely and taking some preliminary steps, like distributing safety information to residents likely to be most affected by flooding, to be sure we are all as informed and prepared as possible,” said Moore.  “We’ve learned important lessons from past flood events and incorporated what we’ve learned into a thoughtful, strategic, and comprehensive plan.  If flooding occurs, the City will be ready and able to respond,” said Moore.

Should conditions change and the current low potential for flooding increase, notice will be provided on the front page of the City of Yakima website (yakimawa.gov) in the “City News” section and on various social media platforms operated by the City.  If flooding were to occur and residents needed to take action to remain safe, those same communications tools, as well as the City’s mass notification system, would be used to share information with the community.

City of Yakima Flooding Preparation – News Release