Stormy Weather Has Sumner Watching Puyallup, White Rivers

SUMNER, WA — The City of Sumner will be keeping close watch on the Puyallup and White rivers this weekend, as this week's storms will likely have the rivers running higher and faster than usual.

Officials say they don't think there is a significant chance of flooding, but that they'll monitor the rivers regardless, so they can react quickly should anything happen. No roads have been closed and there are no projected traffic impacts, but the city did close a stretch of the Sumner Link Trail midday Wednesday due to excess water on the trail.

According to NOAA projections, the White River is at higher risk of flooding, though the Puyallup will peak first, topping off Sunday morning before retreating in the evening.

The White River, meanwhile, will likely rise starting late Saturday and will stay elevated until around 5 p.m. Monday, when it will begin to taper off. At its peak, the White River is expected to reach 7133 cubic feet per second, enough to likely cause flooding in Pacific and upstream of the A Street Bridge in Auburn. For comparison, NOAA says the river would need to hit 10000 cfs before heavy flooding would impact Sumner.

Still, the city is keeping watch and will be posting updates if necessary on their website through the weekend if conditions change.