Record flooding occurred on the Chehalis, Skokomish, and Elwha Rivers. In addition to the record flooding, major flooding occurred on the Bogachiel River.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.
Record flooding occurred on the Chehalis, Skokomish, and Elwha Rivers. In addition to the record flooding, major flooding occurred on the Bogachiel River. Flooding also occurred on the Nooksack, Skagit, Stillaguamish, SF Stillaguamish, Snohomish, Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Puyallup, Deschutes, Nisqually, Skookumchuck, Dungeness Rivers and Issaquah Creek. Significant and damaging urban and small stream flooding occurred in Snohomish, King, Lewis, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties, as 3 to 8 inches of rain fell over the area with the exception of 10 to 20 inches in the Willapa Hills and southern Olympic mountain areas. At least 130 people had to be rescued by helicopter. Two men died as a result of river flooding - one near Winlock in Lewis county and another along the Tahuya river in Mason county. A landslide hit a house and buried a man in his sleep near Hoodsport in Mason county.
These events were part of a significant deep Pacific storm system offshore the also initially generated lowland snow in western Washington and later created strong winds in primarily the coastal region and avalanches in the Cascades.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Seattle, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 2, 9:00 PM PST, 0 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 900 PM PST SUN DEC 2 2007 .SYNOPSIS...THE THIRD WEATHER SYSTEM IN THIS SERIES OF THREE WILL ARRIVE LATER TONIGHT AND BRING HIGH WIND...HEAVY RAIN...AND MUCH WARMER CONDITIONS TO THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY. FLOODING IS LIKELY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE REST OF THE WEEK LOOKS POSITIVELY BENIGN BY COMPARISON. && .SHORT TERM...SECOND FRONTAL SYSTEM ROLLED THROUGH THE REGION LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND GUSTS REACHED 53 KNOTS ON THE COAST AND 45 KNOTS PARTS OF THE INTERIOR. THIS FEATURE IS WELL NORTH OF THE AREA AND WE ARE NO IN THE RELOADING STAGE AS THE THIRD IN THIS SERIES OF THREE APPROACHES. AS A RESULT...EVEN THROUGH IT REMAINS FAIRLY BREEZY MOST AREAS THE WINDS ARE NOT AS STRONG AS EARLIER. WE SHOULD REMAIN RELATIVELY TRANQUIL UNTIL SHORTLY SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT WHEN THINGS SHOULD START RAMPING UP ONCE AGAIN. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FELT ALONG THE COAST WITH A SECONDARY AREA OVER THE NORTHERN HOOD CANAL...ADMIRALTY INLET...ENE INTO SNOHOMISH COUNTY AS A MESOLOW CRANKS UP IN THE LEE OF THE OLYMPICS. THIS FEATURE ALREADY PRESENT AND EXPECT THIS TO TIGHTEN SIGNIFICANTLY OVERNIGHT. THIS IS NOT A QUICK HIT TYPE OF SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST WHERE THE WINDS WILL BE RATHER STRONG THROUGH MONDAY. SO WINDY CONDITIONS INTO MONDAY EVENING WITH A PEAK SOMETIME BETWEEN 3 AM AND 10 AM DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCATION. WINDS IN THE LOW LEVELS 1-3000 FT WILL BE VERY STRONG AND GREATER THAN 50KT FOR MOST OF THE AREA FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS SO GUST POTENTIAL IS PRETTY GOOD ON THE OCCASIONS WE CAN MIX THAT DOWN. RIDGE TOP WINDS WILL ALSO BE VERY STRONG...AND LIKELY THE STRONGEST WE HAVE HAD SINCE LAST YEAR. ANOTHER ISSUE TO DEAL WITH IS THE SNOW OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE OLYMPICS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING OVER TO RAIN WITH HURRICANE RIDGE UP TO 33 DEGREES. AT 4PM OVER KUIL THE FREEZING LEVEL WAS AROUND 5500 FT AND ACCORDING TO ACARS DATA IT IS ABOUT 6600 FT OVER KSEA AT 8 PM. SO PRETTY MUCH LIQUID FROM HERE ON OUT OLYMPICS...AND A LOT OF IT AT THAT. ALREADY HAVE FLOOD WARNINGS BEING ISSUED FOR SOME RIVERS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO GO OVER MONDAY. THIS WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT FLOOD EVENT FOR THE OLYMPICS. FOR THE CASCADES...IT APPEARS THAT WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH SNOW FOR THE MOST PART BUT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THINGS ARE CHANGING UP THERE A BIT QUICKER THAN EARLIER ANTICIPATED. STEVENS PASS (AT 5000 FT LEVEL) HAS A GOOD SW WIND NOW AND DOT REPORTS HAVE FREEZING RAIN AT SNOQUALMIE PASS. WILL LIKELY TWEAK THE ZONE WORDING A BIT...BUT LEAVE THE WINTER STORM WARNING AS IS. OVERALL IT WILL GO OVER TO RAIN IN THE CASCADES AS WELL WHICH WILL ALSO POSE SOME PROBLEMS WITH RIVERS THAT DRAIN OFF THEM. LOOKING FOR AN EXCESS OF 5 INCHES OF RAIN IN MANY LOCATIONS OF THE CASCADES THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT. SO STAY TUNED FOR FLOOD WARNINGS FOR THOSE RIVERS AS WELL. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DIE DOWN AND RAIN TAPER OFF SLOWLY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT LEAVING THE AREA IN A COOLER (THAN THE MID 50S OF MONDAY) AND SHOWERY PATTERN TUESDAY WITH A FEW SHOWERS LINGERING INTO WEDNESDAY. CERNIGLIA .LONG TERM...FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...NEW GFS HAS SOME DRYING TREND LATER IN THE WEEK BUT GAVE IT LITTLE NOTICE OTHER THAN TO LOWER POPS A BIT AND PUT FEWER CLOUDS IN GRIDS. BROADBRUSH SHOWERS OTHERWISE. BURKE && .AVALANCHE...EXISTING UNSTABLE SNOWPACK STRUCTURE AND INCREASING LOADS DUE TO STRONG WINDS...VERY HEAVY SNOW THEN RAIN...AND WARMING TREND FULLY EXPECTED TO CAUSE AN AVALANCHE CYCLE ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. BACK COUNTRY TRAVEL IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN NOT RECOMMENDED ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. PLEASE SEE WWW.NWAC.US FOR DETAILS. FERBER && .AVIATION...STRONG WINDS WILL PICK UP OVER WRN WA AFTER MIDNIGHT AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NWD ACROSS THE AREA. SUSTAINED WIND OF 20 TO 35 KT ARE ANTICIPATED OVER MUCH OF THE INTERIOR W/ GUSTS OF 35 TO 50 KT. THE N INTERIOR WILL SEE THE STRONGEST WINDS. WINDS ALOFT WILL BE VERY STRONG -- AROUND 45 KT AT 1500 FT AND 60 KT AT 3000 FT. COMPRESSION PROBLEMS POSSIBLE. A MIX OF MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL TONIGHT AND MON WITH MORE OR LESS CONTINUOUS RAIN...OCCASIONALLY HEAVY AFTER MIDNIGHT. AT KSEA...SOUTH WIND WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING BECOME SUSTAINED 20 KT GUSTING 30 KT...THEN INCREASE TO 25 KT GUSTING TO 35 KT EARLY MON MORNING. MERCER && .MARINE...VERY STRONG WINDS ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE OREGON COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING. THESE WINDS WILL SPREAD NWD INTO THE WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A STORM WARNING WILL CONTINUE FOR THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH MONDAY. GALE WARNINGS WILL BE IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND MON FOR THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND INLAND WATERS. IN ADDITION COMBINED SEAS WILL BUILD TO 28 TO 38 FT MON WITH SEVERE BAR CONDITIONS...HIGH SURF...AND POSSIBLE COASTAL FLOODING. MERCER && .SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH 4 PM FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTH COAST...EASTERN AND WESTERN STRAIT AREA...ADMIRALTY INLET AREA... HOOD CANAL AREA...EVERETT AND VICINITY...LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA. .HIGH WIND WATCH 10 PM THROUGH 4 PM CASCADES AND OLYMPICS. .WIND ADVISORY ALL OTHER LOWLAND ZONES. .FLOOD WATCH MOST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON. .WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE CASCADES. .COASTAL FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT FOR THE COAST. .HIGH SURF WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT FOR THE COAST. .STORM WARNING COASTAL WATERS THROUGH MONDAY. .GALE WARNING ALL REMAINING WATERS THROUGH MONDAY. .SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ROUGH GRAYS HARBOR BAR. WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
456 PM PST SUN DEC 02 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1011 AM SNOW 1 N FERNDALE 48.87N 122.60W
12/02/2007 M5.5 INCH WHATCOM WA TRAINED SPOTTER
5.5 INCHES SNOW TOTAL...AND STILL SNOWING.
1045 AM SNOW 3 WSW BELFAIR 47.43N 122.89W
12/02/2007 M6.0 INCH MASON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
1105 AM SNOW 3 SW BRINNON 47.65N 122.94W
12/02/2007 M6.0 INCH JEFFERSON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
6 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
1201 PM SNOW 5 WNW SEKIU 48.29N 124.41W
12/02/2007 M4.0 INCH CLALLAM WA TRAINED SPOTTER
AT ELEVATION OF 100 FT.
1220 PM HIGH SUST WINDS 4 ENE VAIL 46.86N 122.57W
12/02/2007 M53.00 MPH THURSTON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
LAKE LAWRENCE, WINDS 53 MPH SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS TO 62
MPH.
1240 PM SNOW 5 NNW SHELTON 47.29N 123.13W
12/02/2007 M8.0 INCH MASON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
STILL SNOWING, 24 DEGREES F. 360 FT ELEVATION.
0117 PM SNOW 6 NNW POTLATCH 47.44N 123.21W
12/02/2007 M16.0 INCH MASON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
0134 PM SNOW 3 WNW SEKIU 48.28N 124.37W
12/02/2007 M3.5 INCH CLALLAM WA TRAINED SPOTTER
3.5 INCH TOTAL, TURNING TO RAIN.
0140 PM SNOW 1 ESE COVILLE 48.12N 123.60W
12/02/2007 M2.0 INCH CLALLAM WA TRAINED SPOTTER
2 INCHES NEW SNOW, 4 INCHES TOTAL. TURNING TO RAIN.
0400 PM SNOW 4 W NAPAVINE 46.58N 122.98W
12/02/2007 M3.5 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER
0400 PM FLOOD 4 W NAPAVINE 46.58N 122.98W
12/02/2007 LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL CREEKS AND STEARNS CREEK ARE FLOODING.
&&
CERNIGLIAThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 heavy rain, 3 debris flow, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A house was knocked off its foundation by flood waters.
Heavy rains caused officials to close or restrict nearly 200 roads, including major commuter paths such as Highway 3. A large sinkhole developed near the High Point Shopping Center in Port Orchard. About 300 structures throughout the county were damaged. Several stores in Silverdale suffered water damage.
The Chehalis river at Centralia reached a record flood stage of 74.78 feet. An 81-year old man disappeared along a stream near Winlock. More than 450 homes were damaged outside of the cities of Chehalis and Centralia. About 65 homes were destroyed, while just over 200 had major damage. Over 1800 farm animals died. A 20 mile stretch of Interstate-5 was closed for 3 days as parts of the interstate were under as much as 10 feet of water as well as the major north-south rail line. In Centralia about 350 homes were damaged or destroyed. About 1100 people used shelters. Many schools were closed for a week. Some communities had no fresh water. More than 20 square blocks near downtown Centralia were under water.
A Mason County man was killed when he was buried in his bedroom while sleeping after it was hit by a landslide during the early morning hours.
In Seattle and Burien, mudslides blocked several roads and forced some residents to evacuate. The biggest slide occurred above Golden Gardens Park, when a section of road and mud slid down the hill. The road will be closed until spring. A rail line from Seattle to Everett was closed due to slides across the route.
Over a dozen roads were closed due to high water and 20 families were evacuated from their apartments. Roads near Mill Creek and Edmonds will be closed for nearly a month to repair large sinkholes near and under the streets. About 300 residents had minor water damage to their homes.
A private school in Clinton was flooded by over an inch of water.
Four apartment buildings were evacuated in North Seattle, where some basement apartments had 3 feet of water in them. About 30 people were evacuated from apartments in Woodinville. Many roads were closed, including parts of SR 522, water over I-405 led to heavy traffic all day. About 20 roads were damaged throughout the county. Nearly 5 inches of rain fell at SeaTac airport. Nathan Hale High School in north Seattle was closed for a week due to water damage from Thorton Creek for the first time ever. A few homes and businesses had water damage.
A few homes had up to 3 inches of water in their basements. Flood waters from Swift Creek washed away part of Cedar Flat Road cutting off about 250 homes from vehicular traffic.
The Skokomish at Potlatch reach a record flood stage of 18.12 feet. Two bridges were washed away, one over the Tahuya River and one over Finch creek. All schools in the county were closed monday. Several roads were closed and a few people were evacuated from their homes. A man was swept away in the Tahuya river.
A restaurant, off of Hwy 8, was damaged when a mudslide caused part of it to collapse. A house outside of Pe Ell was moved 10 feet off of its foundation by a mudslide which also blocked SR 6.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Lewis | 2007-12-02 | 81 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
| Debris Flow, Hood Canal Area | 2007-12-03 | 22 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Flood, Mason | 2007-12-03 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, December 2007
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 67812, 67813, 66625, 67809, 67810, 67884, 67885, 67886, 67888, 66626, 67932.