Flooding in Washington, October 30, 1997

Name: Flooding in Washington, October 30, 1997
Start: 1997-10-30T06:00
End: 1997-10-30T21:00
Location: Washington

October 30, 1997 · NWS SEW · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Heavy rain caused flooding on the Skokomish, Stillaguamish, and Skagit rivers. 2 inches of rain fell at Wishkah Headworks, north of Aberdeen, in a 24 hour period ending at 8 am on the 30th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.

Heavy rain caused flooding on the Skokomish, Stillaguamish, and Skagit rivers. 4.2 inches of rain fell at Wishkah Headworks, north of Aberdeen, in a 24 hour period ending at 8 am on the 30th. Montensano reported 3 inches in the same time period. The Skokomish crested at 17.0 feet and 18 homes were damaged, as well as two state fish hatcheries, three roads, and a U.S. 101 bridge. Several other rivers also had minor flooding.

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson

When: October 30, 6:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where: Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson forecast zone

Flood, C Skagit/C Snohomish

When: October 30, 6:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where: C Skagit/C Snohomish forecast zone

Flood, W Skagit/Nw Snohomish

When: October 30, 6:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where: W Skagit/Nw Snohomish forecast zone

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, October 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5617198, 5617199, 5617200.