Submitted by Thurston County Board of Commissioners
Thurston County Emergency Management is urging residents in the low-lying areas of the Nisqually River to be prepared for potential flooding as Tacoma Power increases the amount of water released from the LaGrande Dam to 12,000 cubic feet per second. Evacuation is not anticipated at this time, but Emergency Management advises residents to be prepared to evacuate on short notice if Tacoma Power continues to increase the water flow.
Kurt Hardin, Director of Emergency Services said, “At 12:12 p.m. February 5 we notified residents through the Thurston Community Alert System that Tacoma Power will begin releasing 12,000 cubic ft. of water per second by 2:00 p.m. today from the LaGrande Dam to manage water levels due to significant water flow. Tacoma Power plans to maintain this level through Friday with the possibility to increase again, if needed.”
Hardin said, “We are urging residents living on or near Hayko Lane, 6th Avenue near the public fishing area, low lying areas of Riverbend Campground, or Riverside Manor Apartments to keep a watchful eye on the river and be prepared to evacuate on short notice.”
Residents can monitor river levels at www.thurstoncountywa.gov/em/pages/rivers-graphs.aspx.
To receive critical countywide TCALERT messages, residents can sign-up at https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/em/Pages/ei-alert.aspx.\
For more information on preparedness and having a grab and go kit, visit https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/em/Pages/prep-personal.aspx. Don’t forget to prepare to take your household pets with you.
