Worst flood in nearly 30 years. Van Giesen is underwater, closed into W. Richland
By Saturday morning, Van Giesen Street was under about half a meter of water. Yakima River overflowed They flocked to banks, workplaces and homes.
It rose to what is considered major flood stage (5 feet at the Kiona gauge near Benton City) at 3 a.m. Saturday.
Van Giesen was closed to both eastbound and westbound traffic between South 38th Avenue in West Richland and Highway 240 in Richland at 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to a Washington state Department of Transportation official.
At least one lane of the highway was previously flooded and closed to traffic.
Late Saturday morning the Kiona gauge measured 16.27 feet, which was expected to be as high as the river could rise.
The water was expected to drop to just under 16 feet by Saturday evening.
The Yakima River hasn’t been this high near the Triple Cities since the February 1996 flood, when the river reached nearly 21 feet at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Kiona gauge, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Dee and Darin Judy lead their horses to safety from the Yakima River floodwaters on Van Giesen Street in West Richland on Saturday.
Flood reaches Richland
Floodwaters were flowing into Richland west of the bypass in the Van Giesen Street area Saturday morning.
At the Richland Riders Club, pickup trucks carrying horse trailers carrying their animals to safety were leaving the riding and equestrian facility. Van Giesen Street in Richland Saturday before noon.
Pickup trucks carrying horse trailers ferrying their animals to safety were leaving the Richland Riders Club’s riding and equestrian facility on Van Giesen Street in Richland before noon Saturday.
There was only a trickle at the club early on Saturday morning, but it had risen to around a meter by this afternoon.
in that Buckskin Golf Course in RichlandGolfers played until dark Friday as owner Jeff Marcum kept an eye on nearby pastures that were flooded before water reached his courses.
Hole No. 2 at Buckskin Golf Club in West Richland was under water Saturday morning.
At 9 p.m., he began to worry and began moving golf carts out of the cart sheds, barely making it through the rising water.
“At three in the morning I was still chasing my tail,” he said.
By Saturday morning, water had covered the entire course, including the front lawns and driving range, and had reached the interior of the pro shop.
This is the first year since flooding crossed Bronco Lane westward in 1998, he said, on Bronco Lane not far from the Columbia Basin Racquet Club in Richland.
The Yakima River spilled from its banks into West Richland on Saturday at flood levels not seen in 30 years.
He said it was the first time the driving range had been flooded and there was water in the buildings.
“This time we encountered a huge incident,” he said.
He said he watched the water level on a stake driven into the ground and just before noon the water continued to rise.
But he remained optimistic.
“When the water starts falling, it decreases rapidly,” he said. He hopes to reopen by Christmas.
The swollen Yakima River overflowed its banks and flooded the Beach RV Park in Benton City. Many residents moved their trailers to higher ground ahead of the river’s expected crest.
Another atmospheric river forecast
The Yakima River is expected to drop to just over 10 feet at the Kiona gauge on Tuesday, but then begin rising again. Early estimates from the National Weather Service suggest it could rise as high as 13.5 feet Friday morning, which is considered minor flood stage.
River and stream flooding in the mid-Columbia was caused by a powerful atmospheric river that dumped rain on the Cascade Mountains earlier in the week, melting snow and swelling rivers.
Another atmospheric river is expected to hit Washington and Oregon on Monday. It’s not expected to be this strong or hot. Heavy snowfall is expected in the Cascade Mountains.
Traffic moves along 1st Avenue Friday morning, passing the flooded Benton City Recreation Area and Boat Launch road leading to Benton City, just below the bridge over the Yakima River.
