High winds forecast through Wednesday afternoon in Pacific, Grays Harbor counties

Satsop, other Grays Harbor County rivers under flood watch through midnight Thursday

Emergency managers from Grays Harbor and Pacific counties warn of high winds through Wednesday afternoon and potential flooding after the National Weather Service in Seattle posted wind advisory and flood watch warnings across the region Tuesday morning.

“A wind advisory will be in effect from midnight Tuesday through 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon,” said Charles Wallace, deputy director of Grays Harbor County Emergency Management. “Sustained South winds are projected to be 25-35 mph gusting to 50 mph along the coast.”

Pacific County Emergency Management Agency Director Scott McDougall warns even stronger winds are possible in Pacific County.

“South winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts 70 mph are forecast for the beaches and headlands. Coastal communities will see winds from the south at 25 to 35 mph with gusts 50-60 mph,” he said. “Winds will increase Tuesday afternoon and continue overnight into Wednesday morning. The winds may be strong enough to damage trees and cause power interruptions. Travel may be difficult due to damaged trees in the roadway.”

The greatest flood risk will be in Grays Harbor County, though as of 6 a.m. Tuesday no rivers are projected to reach flood stage. Wallace said the Satsop River in particular “can react extremely fast to heavy rainfall and is an area of concern by the National Weather Service over the next few days.”

The flood watch for Grays Harbor County is in effect from 6 p.m. Tuesday through midnight Thursday morning. The National Weather Service in Seattle said to expect periods of heavy from Tuesday night through Wednesday evening. The mountains and coast could see three to six inches of rain while the interior lowlands could see 0.5 to 2.5 inches. With the high snow levels and heavy rainfall, rivers in Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason and Whatcom counties could flood.