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Flood Warning System
Stay informed about potential flooding in your area. Find current river conditions, sign up for free Flood Alerts, and contact the Flood Warning Center with the information below.
Contact the Flood Warning Center
Call during flood events to get the latest information on conditions or ask questions about river flooding. Please call 911 if you are experiencing a flood emergency.
Call the Flood Warning Center phone number to:
- Hear current river flow data
- Get information about sandbags
- Learn background information on flood phases
- Connect to the River and Floodplain Management section during business hours
Hours: 24-hours a day | Live representatives answer calls during flood events.
Flood Warning Information Center
206-296-8200 | Toll free: 800-945-9263
*Interpreters available by request.
Check current river conditions
The King County Flood Warning App helps you stay informed about conditions on seven rivers and Issaquah Creek. Launch the app to view:- Current river conditions
- Forecasts
- Interactive graphs
- Information in many languages through Google Translate
You can also install the app to use on your computer or mobile devices. The application downloads data from the U.S. Geological Survey, National Weather Service, and Northwest River Forecast Center about every 10 minutes. The app was funded by the King County Flood Control District and developed by King County.
Sign up for Flood Alerts
Flood Alerts can give you more time to prepare before serious flooding occurs. It is free to sign up, and you can choose how to stay informed.
- Get Flood Alerts by email, text message, or a phone call.
- Select the rivers and flood phases that are of interest to you.
Flood Warning System General Questions
This page contains frequently asked questions and answers about King County Flood Warning System. If you don't see the answer to your question listed below, please email us at XXXXX@kingcounty.gov or call 206-XXX-XXXX for more information.
When does flooding and high water typically happen in King County?
Flooding and high water are most common from October through April during periods of heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt. Historically, King County rivers have flooded in every month but August.
How many Flood Alert lists can I sign up for?
You can sign up for as many of the rivers and flood phases as you like.
King County uses four phases to reflect river flood conditions. The higher the phase, the more water is flowing in our rivers and the more likely we are to experience flooding.
Learn more about the phases of flood alerts on our Flood Warning System page.
How will I know I'm signed up?
Visit https://green.kingcounty.gov/floodalertsystem and log in using your e-mail address and password to confirm your subscriptions. If you don't remember your password, there is a password reminder feature which will e-mail your password to you.
If you no longer have access to the e-mail address you used to sign up, don't have e-mail, or need further assistance, please call 206-477-4899.
Why do I keep getting a "server busy" message?
You may be redirected to this page for a number of reasons – in order to serve as many people as possible, our subscription form limits the number of accounts you can sign up for at once. If you need to sign up multiple people for alerts (for example, family or co-workers), you can add more the next day or call 206-477-4899. You may also see this page due to a large number of people signing up at once. Please try again later.
Is my contact information kept private?
Please see the King County’s privacy policy. Your contact information is provided to our message-delivery vendor, Konexus for the sole purpose of delivering flood alerts by e-mail, text message, and/or phone. The county does not sell or rent information to others and takes steps to safeguard your information. However, as a public entity, your information may be subject to public disclosure as directed by local, state, or federal laws.
Flood Alerts
What other information is available from the Flood Warning Center?
King County works closely with the National Weather Service to obtain forecast information used to make flood predictions. Close coordination occurs with King County’s Office of Emergency Management, Roads, and other agencies to obtain up-to-date information about problem sites, road closures, evacuations and other emergency services. Coordination also occurs with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Seattle Public Utilities regarding dam operations. Personnel at the Flood Warning Center are available to answer questions and help interpret gage readings during a flood event. Current river and flood information is always available through the phone menu system.
Call the Flood Warning Center at: 206-296-8200 or 800-945-9263.
Where do the Flood Alert messages come from?
King County has contracted with the vendor Konexus for message delivery. E-mail and text messages will come from the address msg@mail1.alertsense.com – you may need to add this address to your "allowed sender" list or adjust spam-blockers to receive the alerts. Phone messages will come from the phone number 206-296-8200.
Will I get phase alerts when the river levels go down?
No, the Phase 2, 3, and 4 alerts are only issued as the rivers rise past the phase thresholds. They are not re-sent as the rivers recede back past the thresholds again. However, if a river falls and the phase is lowered, and then later the river rises above the next threshold again, a second alert may be issued.
Will I receive any other alerts besides the ones I signed up for?
You will also be added to a "River emergency" list for each river you signed up for. The "River emergency" alerts will be used for any flood-related emergency. If you receive a "River emergency" alert, please check your local news media, King County flood services, or call 206-296-8200 or 800-945-9263.
What does "River emergency" mean?
The "River emergency" alerts will be sent for emergency conditions that do not fall within a Phase 2, Phase 3, or Phase 4 declaration. Possible examples of a “River emergency” alert could include events such as levees being damaged or overtopped, a chemical spill into a river, etc. Because of the wide range of possible emergencies, the alerts themselves are not specific. If you receive a "River emergency" alert, you will need to consult other sources (e.g., news media or the Web) for more information.
An example of a "River emergency" alert:
"This message is to inform you of emergency conditions associated with the Tolt River. For more information, see King County flood services or call 800-945-9263."
How do I sign up for the "River emergency" alerts?
You are automatically signed up for emergency alerts for any rivers you sign up for. For example, if you sign up for Cedar River Phase 2, 3, or 4 you will also be added to the Cedar River Emergency alert list.
Do you issue alerts for other rivers or streams?
The Flood Alert System only issues alerts for six major rivers in King County: Cedar River, Green River, Issaquah Creek, South Fork Skykomish River, Tolt River, White River, and the Snoqualmie Basin. River gage data is available online for other river systems (e.g. Skykomish River and Raging River) at King County flood services.
Other emergency alerts and notifications
You may be able to subscribe to multiple emergency alert providers depending on where you live. More warnings can give you more time to prepare for emergency situations, so take advantage of as many as you can. We recommend the following alert systems:
National Weather Service - NOAA Weather Radio System
King County: ALERT King County
Check with your local jurisdiction for emergency alerts
Sign up to receive alerts by all methods possible: phone call, text message, and e-mail. If you have multiple phones or email addresses, consider signing up for alerts with all of them.