J425 EXCLUSIVE — The City of Lake Stevens and an individual Lake Stevens police officer are named defendants in a developing federal civil rights lawsuit brought by the family of a man shot to death in a 2023 encounter with Lake Stevens police.

Several surprises tied to this story, but we’ll lede with the shocker that the City of Lake Stevens is officially admitting fault in federal court for the fatal officer-involved-shooting, with the city deciding to cop to their supposed failure to properly train and supervise the officer who pulled the trigger.

The federal civil rights lawsuit was filed by the family of the disturbed car-jacker who tore through Lake Stevens area on a GTA-like rampage in January, 2023.

The berserker careened from Frontier Village to the intersection of 20th and SR-9, bailed on foot and ultimately leading cops on a cross country chase before getting shot to death after jumping in an unlocked LSPD cruiser and attempting to drive off. The suit alleged wrongful death and negligence, among other claims, and initially, the city denied fault.

However, in an amended response filed earlier this year, the city formally accepted fault, admitting that failures in training and supervision contributed to the 2023 fatal shooting of 30-year-old James Blancocotto.

The admission, contained in a January 2026 legal filing, marks a total departure from the city’s previous defense.

It also coincides with a blistering state audit that found the independent investigation into the shooting was plagued by procedural failures and a lack of transparency.

By admitting fault, the city appears to be executing a sophisticated legal pivot: acknowledging…

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SEATTLE — King County taxpayers may be forced to gamble on nearly a billion dollars in new funding next summer, as the Department of Community and Human Services has pushed its final report on fraud curtailment into the same June 2027 window that voters are expected to reauthorize the massive Best Starts for Kids levy.

Despite a damning audit identifying systemic failures and “significant financial risk,” the department’s final strategy for internal controls is not scheduled for completion until June 30, 2027—effectively ensuring that the true state of the county’s grant oversight remains a mystery until the ballots are already being counted.

King County Auditor Issues Fraud Update

One year after an audit of King County’s Department of Community and Human Services revealed a landscape of forged invoices, unretrieved kickbacks, and a departmental culture that prioritized the rapid distribution of cash over basic financial math, the first official progress report is in.

The result is a one-for-ten score that suggests the department’s transition from a billion-dollar bypass to a responsible steward is moving at the speed of a stalled investigation.

According to the First Follow-Up on the DCHS Contract Management Audit released April 6, 2026, by King County Auditor Kymber Waltmunson, DCHS has fully implemented exactly one of the ten recommendations issued during the damning 2025 review.

Nine other critical reforms remain in various stages of progress, with many not expected…

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SEATTLE — Federal investigators recently interviewed Rainier Beach High School (RBHS) Principal Annie Patu regarding her connections to a multi-state drug trafficking organization (DTO) that flooded the Pacific Northwest with fentanyl and weapons, J425 can exclusively report.

Court documents recently unsealed in the Western District of Washington reveal that Patu, the leader of one of Seattle’s most prominent high schools, is now considered a likely witness in the federal prosecution of her sister, Matelita “Marty” Jackson, and her brother-in-law, Mandel Jackson. Patu’s niece and two nephews are also indicted.

The FBI interview and associated court filings provide a window into an intersection of Seattle Public Schools (SPS) leadership and the indicted members of a multi-state criminal enterprise.1

Transcripts obtained by J425 reveal that Patu, an educational leader and mandatory reporter, provided information to federal investigators revealing that she was aware of significant criminal red flags within her immediate family at the same time she was simultaneously integrating family members into the Rainier Beach High School ecosystem.

Specifically, during what’s described as a “consensual interview” with federal agents, Patu made several admissions linking her to the peripheries of the Jackson DTO’s operations.

Quoting United States Attorney Michael Harder:

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LAKE STEVENS — The Lake Stevens School District (LSSD) has agreed to pay millions of dollars to 19-year-old former student Kalynn Taber to resolve a protracted civil lawsuit centered on the predatory sexual grooming behavior of former math teacher Mark Hein.

The settlement, announced Monday, marks the conclusion of a dark chapter in the district’s history—a chapter first brought to light and relentlessly documented by The Journal 425.

In addition to the multi-million dollar payout, an attorney for Taber said the district has committed to a sweeping overhaul of its training protocols for both school staff and district-level administrators, specifically focusing on sexual grooming and mandatory reporting requirements.

The settlement serves as a final, high-priced vindication for Taber and a searing indictment for a district that, for years, seemingly prioritized institutional preservation (aka “risk management”) over student safety.

For J425, the resolution of the Taber case validates the years of investigative reporting that exposed systemic failures within the district—work that earned this publication finalist honors for the 2024 LION National Journalistic Impact Award.

A Tale of Two Probes: Administrative Minimization vs. Criminal Accountability

The core of the Taber lawsuit, and the foundation of J425’s extensive coverage, rested on a staggering “logical dissonance”. As J425 reporting revealed, the exact same behavior that the school district labeled a mere “boundary invasion” worthy of a toothless warning was evaluated by law enforcement as a spate of prison-worthy sex crimes against a child.

The contrast between the Lake Stevens School District’s internal probe and the Lake Stevens Police Department’s (LSPD) criminal investigation offers a stark look

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LOS ANGELES — The multi-year manhunt for the teen who led police on a high speed chase that ended in a triple vehicular homicide came to a close last week with an arrest in Southern California. Police had earlier arrested a local 18-year-old on weapons charges related to the crash.

The horrific collision involved a speeding car, filled with armed teens, evading police on Airport Road at high speed.

The incident ended in a mass casualty crash into a roadside homeless encampment after the driver lost control and slid broadside into a crowd of bystanders, killing three people and critically injured two others.

Onlookers told police that five occupants exited the car and fled the scene on foot.

On March 9, 2026, the US Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force located and apprehended

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LAKE STEVENS — A high-stakes interview between the woman suspected of abusing four toddlers and a detective known for nailing sex predators; a lie detector test taken and reportedly failed; and interview transcripts showing management hemming and hawing over reputational concerns when – according to the law – they should’ve been contacting law enforcement.

These are just a few of the details revealed by police reports obtained by J425 following the arrest of Strange Leann Wahl, a 28-year-old assistant preschool teacher accused of sexually assaulting multiple toddlers at a local daycare.

The full investigatory document is included for J425 subscribers, attached in pdf format at the bottom of this post.

This J425 report details the dueling investigations triggered by allegations that four toddlers were sexually abused by Wahl: the internal investigation conducted by Country Dawn management, seemingly paralyzed by reputational concerns; and the swift and broad Lake Stevens Police Department criminal investigation, the timeline and scope of which eventually overtook Country Dawn’s internal probe, ultimately resulting in the felony sex abuse arrest of a daycare teacher charged with sexually abusing four female toddlers – an arrest made as investigators considered whether state reporting requirements were broken by Country Dawn management.

Strange Leann Wahl Arrested on Felony Child Sex Abuse Charges

At the center of this report is the highly disturbing allegations that a trusted daycare worker serially abused up to four helpless female toddlers…

(continue past jump for details of Detective’s interview with suspect; questions asked on polygraph test — plus full LSPD investigatory file.)

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LAKE STEVENS — She’s faced down convicted sex predator Julian Willis, arrested in Lake Stevens after chasing a local teen around Haggen.

She remained calm as former Vikings basketball coach Mark Hein rubbed her leg under the table, during a criminal interview into his alleged predatory actions.

Later, she’d slap the cuffs on Hein en route to parking the…

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Two former school administrators who spoke to J425 for this story suggested that the district’s handling of the case may meet the legal standard of “deliberate indifference” under Title IX. This legal concept applies when an institution’s response to known harassment is “clearly unreasonable in light of the known circumstances”.

PUYALLUP, WA — As many as thirteen female Emerald Ridge High School (ERHS) wrestlers – the teammates of the biological male competitor under criminal investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl during a December, 2025 wrestling match – lodged official safety complaints regarding the wrestler in question with ERHS administration, prior to this story breaking, J425 can report.

In response to the safety concerns, the school responded with gender theory handouts, including a sketch of a genderless stick figure surrounded by gender theory language.

Because the girls’ complaint centered on the fact that a male accused of sexually assaulting a female wrestler was allowed to access girls’ private spaces while under criminal investigation, the ERHS girls felt their concerns were not taken seriously.

This lack of action was compounded by the fact that when four wrestlers first spoke to the ERHS principal about concerns of sharing a locker room with the wrestler under investigation for sexual assault, the principal initially responded with concern for the girls’ safety and said he’d find a separate changing room for the transgender competitors, emailing parents about what seemed like an ideal solution.

Good afternoon,

We have spoken to the two girls in question.

They have agreed to utilize a different changing space for their practices. The goal is for this change to take place starting tomorrow, but it is possible it could take an extra day as we work through the details on our end. If there is a change in this plan for any reason, we can work with and any other girls who express concerns, on options moving forward.

Ed Crow,

Emerald Ridge High School

Principal

However, the male wrestler, under criminal investigation by the Pierce County Sheriff for sexual assault, returned to the girls locker room after just one day away.

Someone above the principal had evidently decided that a boy accused of sexually assaulting a female wrestler had a right to access the space where girls change and shower, and his right trumped the concerns of the 13 girls.

That said, the fact that the principal’s initial response was in line with common sense: listen to the girls’ complaint, find a separate changing area for the male accused of sexually assaulting a girl; the fact that the district reversed course after 24 hours provides a specific area for investigators to hone in on, and given the fact that after the male returned to the girls locker room, the 13 wrestlers who again complained to building administrators were this time met with politicized handouts written by gender theorists, one can surmise that the reasons for inserting the male back amidst the females was ideological in nature, and devoid of any care for the safety of the girls involved.

To be direct: how can Puyallup argue that the safety interests of the 13 teammates who complained were prioritized by returning the accused male into the girls’ locker room after one day?

They can’t.

All they can do is explain why it was more important to allow a male accused of sexually assaulting a female to access the girls locker room than it was to protect the safety of the girls’ inside said locker room.

Feds Open Title IX Investigation into Puyallup School District

Given this set of facts, it’s not surprising that the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has opened a formal investigation into the Puyallup School District regarding allegations that the district failed to protect a female student from sexual assault by a biological male competitor and subsequently ignored her report for nearly two months.

The federal probe follows a J425 investigative report that detailed a 54-day gap between the time the student reported the assault

Report continues for 750 words with links, evidence and quotes after jump.

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Video from Undivided with Brandi Kruse.

PUYALLUP, WA — “I wouldn’t have let her wrestle if I knew her opponent was male.”

It is a statement nearly as disturbing as the visceral exclamation — featured in the headline — let loose by the victim during the match. And it’s what a coach told the parents of a 16-year-old Rogers High School, after the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a transgender Emerald Ridge wrestler, a 190-pound biological male.

The transgender Emerald Ridge wrestler, competing as a girl under Washington State’s transgender athletic policy, is currently under investigation by the Pierce County Sheriff for the alleged sexual assault of sophomore Kallie Keeler, a girls wrestler for Rogers High School, during a match on December 5, 2025.

J425 is naming Keeler because she voluntarily came forward with a on-the-record interview during which she clearly stated the details of the alleged crime. We are not naming the transgender wrestler, who remains a student and competitor in good standing at Emerald Ridge High School.

A spokesperson for the sheriff confirmed an ongoing criminal investigation into a report of sexual assault on Feb. 9, stating that the Puyallup School District brought forth a report last week.

The sheriff's spokesperson stated…

(post continues for 1,500 words with charts, photos, quotes and video after jump)

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The massive operation arrested leadership in King County with arrests in Snohomish and Pierce Counties — and 17 other locations in Washington, Oregon, and California on February 4, 2026.

Raids resulted in 14 arrests following a high-stakes investigation powered by the suspects’ own confessions, obtained by wiretap.

High-Powered Weaponry and “Glock Switches” Seized

At the center of the seizure was an alarming cache of weaponry designed for street warfare.

During Wednesday’s raids alone, law enforcement recovered 39 firearms and more than 100 “Glock switches”

Continue through the jump for the names of all 14 arrested suspects and more.

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BY BILL LUCIA | WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD

OLYMPIA — Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and Democrats in the state Legislature are divided over how to use the expected revenue from a newly proposed income tax on higher earners.

Lead lawmakers in the House and Senate unveiled the legislation Tuesday.

It calls for a 9.9% tax on personal adjusted gross income over $1 million. Income below that level would not be subject to the tax. The levy would take effect Jan. 1, 2028, with first payments due in April 2029. Backers estimate the tax would raise about $3.5 billion a year, roughly equivalent to a little less than 10% of the state’s current annual operating budget.

Democratic lawmakers and the governor agree revenue from the proposed tax should go toward tax relief, both for individuals and businesses. But less than two hours before legislators rolled out their proposal Tuesday morning, Ferguson, who is also a Democrat, blasted out a statement saying he did not support the bill in its current form because it does not do enough on this front.

“I have repeatedly insisted that a significant percentage of the revenue generated by the Millionaire’s Tax must go back into the pockets of Washingtonians to make life more affordable,” the governor said. “This proposal does not come close.”

If enacted, Washington would shed its status as one of nine states without an income tax on personal wages and salaries.

Supporters see the bill as a step toward reengineering a state tax code that favors the rich and forces lower-income residents to pay an outsized share of their income in taxes and fees.

“We have a broken, upside-down tax system that we have been stuck with for 90 years. We have a generational opportunity in front of us to change that trajectory and to make the whole system fairer,” Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, told reporters Tuesday.

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Thoughts on the murder of two Rainier Beach students outside Rainier Beach High School Friday.

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LAKE STEVENS — A 28-year-old assistant preschool teacher arrested last week on suspicion of first-degree child rape has been released from custody after posting bond.

Strange Leann Wahl, an employee at Country Dawn Preschool in Lake Stevens, was arrested Friday, Jan. 16, following allegations that she sexually abused toddlers under her care.

Wahl was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of rape of a child in the first degree with a “strongarm” designation, a charge that carries a sentence of up to life in prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registry.

Wahl was released a week ago Sunday after posting a $60,000 bond.

Country Dawn notified parents via letter on Jan. 19, stressing their roots in the community and commitment to safety.

“For over 37 years, our program has been a trusted part of this community, built on strong relationships, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of children and families.”

Country Dawn added that “the safety of children in our care remains our top priority. We are fully cooperating with licensing, Child Protective Services, and law enforcement agencies and are continuing normal operations with safeguards in place.”

The Investigation

Court documents say the criminal investigation began after another assistant teacher at the preschool reported witnessing disturbing behavior.

The witness told investigators that between Jan. 7 and Jan. 9, she observed Wahl

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RAINIER BEACH — Two teens are dead outside Rainier Beach High School this afternoon in what law enforcement sources say is a targeted gangland killing.

Regardless, it’s another shocking episode of tragedy and violence that further underscores the complete failures of both Seattle Public Schools, the King County Department of Community and Health Services (DCHS) and the corrupt youth public safety orgs running rampant at the expense of youth in South Seattle.

Today’s tragedy means that three teens have been shot to death on or adjacent to the Seattle high schools from which police were removed and replaced with local non-profits.

The Shooting

Around 4:00 pm today, two teams were shot to death near a Metro bus, at the intersection of Henderson and Rainer Ave, just 100 yards from RBHS.

Sources say the two victims were affiliated with a prominent Seattle Gangster Disciples (GD) set, DWTC (Down With the Crew). One victim also carried affiliations with GGG (Grimey Gangsta Gorilla), a prominent GD subset.

Witnesses say two volleys of gunfire occurred in front of a Metro bus.

Seattle Police Department confirms the shooting occurred outside the bus.

At a 6:00 pm update, SPD Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis provided the following information:

• 2 young male victims (won’t say age)

• No suspect in custody

• Believe it was a targeted shooting

• Asking for witnesses to come forward,

206-233-5000.

Chaotic Scene Unfolds

As of 4:45 pm, hundreds of students milled around the tarp-covered bodies as police struggled to control the scene.

One officer was injured in a chaotic melee at the scene and left on a stretcher.

The shooting occurred after school let out, within sight of Rainier Beach High School - from which Seattle Public Schools removed police from campus and initially replaced them with an org run by the RBHS principal’s sister, Marty Jackson.

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While residential development continues at a staggering rate along the Lake Stevens/Marysville border, development in the City of Lake Stevens proper has calmed somewhat after the storm of Costco and roundabout-relater fervor.

Several years have passed since the City of Lake Stevens published an economic study underpinning its plans for the prosperous, growing community around Snohomish County’s biggest lake — and work is set to begin again on plans that will outline the future of the region.

The city last published major development plans three plus years ago, and at the time a joint civic center / library was still on the cards, and the city’s economic development plan divvied the area up into four zones: basically the greater Frontier Village area, the Cavelero Hill/Costco/South Lake Stevens corridor, historical downtown Lake Stevens and the Hartford industrial area.

Showing how much has changed since the time of those plans, the retail and commercial maps don’t recognize Soper Hill as a commercial area of note. In fact, the area isn’t even noted on the 2022-era docs. Much has changed in that regard.

Few can argue the fact that Costco is a massive hit and has provided benefits to residents and the city alike.

The fruit of former Mayor John Spencer’s tireless work was eventually executed by current Mayor Gailey and an efficient, forward-thinking council that has avoided the intramural disputes that seem to plague so many other municipalities.

Additionally, the decision to part ways with Sno-Isle on the proposed Civic Center campus seems to have worked out well for everyone. The new library is humming along and set for a Spring opening.

And the former Barclays North complex at south Lake Stevens seems to be an ideal solution for a permanent city complex. Although, as far as the branding goes, “Municipal Services Complex” leaves a little to be desired.

However, as residential and commercial funds pour into Marysville’s coffers from the non-stop development of Whiskey Ridge and Soper Hill, Lake Stevens has seen mixed results in other areas: A six story multi-purpose project slated for 160 residential units with ground floor retail and office space destined for Chapel Hill fell through… and the old Rite Aid building has sat empty for years at this point, in the center of a commercial core.

The city’s plan to turn 91st into a walkable streetscape became slightly more feasible after an initial round of Transportation Benefit District-funded improvements combined with the completion of the round-about projects1 implemented a walkable series of crosswalks serviced by a massive sidewalk that runs along what used to be the Frontier Village frontage road. To make that plan a reality, something has to be done to either eliminate the parking lots or otherwise pull the Lake Stevens Marketplace retail adjacent to street side. How this will be accomplished, or if it will be accomplished, is TBD.

That said, it’s apparent that the bulk of the region’s growth over the last couple years have occurred via the considerable retail development atop Soper Hill and the almost unimaginable large residential project that’s transformed Whiskey Ridge. The retail at Soper Hill appears to be a hit, with a popular mix of quick serve restaurants and two large gas stations always appearing busy. The residential is selling well. How this apparent growth and success, approportioned as it is to the City of Marysville and Lake Stevens School District (and not, save for the east side of the Chapel Hill retail, under the domain of Lake Stevens) affects the future of the 425 is yet to be seen.

Work is still to begin in earnest on a new set of governing plans for the future of Lake Stevens, with a council populated by a fresh set of members (all of the incumbents went down to defeat last November) who — at least in during their campaigns — mouthed a lot of anti-growth platitude.

Yet to be seen if the realities of GMA governance change their collective tunes. Mayor Gailey has a couple years to play with in his term. Will he sit back and welcome the new council to do their best? Or will the new and experienced join together to usher the county’s fastest growing city into an era of prosperity…while continuing the safety, levels of service and quality of life that makes this corner of the 425 such a desirable locale? Yet to be seen.

With that said, let’s take a look at the state of development across several key fronts: Whiskey Ridge, downtown Lake Stevens, Chapel Hill and Lake Stevens School District.

Whiskey Ridge Growth Continues at Breathtaking Rate

WHISKEY RIDGE — Two years ago J425 sent the drone north along 87th Ave NE, surveilling an undeveloped mudscape that would soon become a hive of residential activity.

When we sent the drone up last night, the results of that activity were apparent.

Subscribe and hit the jump as we have all the development info on the groundbreaking for the downtown’s new commercial building-slash-museum; news on LSSD “elementary #8”, aerial shots (plus on-the-ground tours of) the hundreds of Whiskey Ridge million dollar listings…all that plus an overview of what’s coming for Lake Stevens, plus pictures, videos, stats and a pdf of the Whiskey Ridge subarea plan for you, among other things:

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LAKE STEVENS – The skyline atop Chapel Hill is changing as the future Lake Stevens Library transitions from blueprints to a physical landmark.

As of yesterday, January 19, 2026, construction has progressed significantly, with a free-standing two story structure now visible on the lot, after Sno-Isle installed cross-laminated timber walls in late November.

Workers are currently in the process of integrating utilities and HVAC into the site infrastructure.

Over the summer, significant progress occurred on the two-story, 15,000-square-foot building.

By September, the building’s concrete slab foundation was completed and steel columns and beams were erected as the cross-laminated timber was built to order.

Sno-Isle officials are currently focused on internal refinements, including the selection of furniture, shelving, and interactive features for the dedicated children’s wing.

Recent progress has the library on track for a tentative grand opening

Hit the jump for site plans, photos and a review of how the city and Sno Isle have faired since the Civic Center project planned for this site was scrapped.

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MUKILTEO, WA — Almost three years ago, J425 broke the story that Julian Willis, then 33, a popular Kamiak assistant football coach and substitute teacher — was sexually abusing a student trainer during lunch breaks and between classes on the high school campus — a series of crimes against a minor girl that had been ongoing for a period of months without stop.

Now, after Willis was convicted of a sex crime against the student and sent to jail for ten months last year, an OSPI filing reveals that Willis will never teach again.

The Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction’s revocation notice confirms that the Mukilteo superintendent reported Willis’ misconduct to the state in June of 2023, as required by law.

The information is included in a final order (see attached, below) permanently revoking the education certificate of former Kamiak High School substitute teacher Julian Willis. The notice was recently posted on the OSPI internal website.

The revocation order, dated July 8, 2025, ensures that Willis is barred from future practice as an educator and is permanently prohibited from applying for certificate reinstatement.

See below for the signed order (attached in full), the case file and information from Willis’ guilty plea, including details on the multiple sexual assault allegations Willis fled across three western states; a claim by a patient in a rehabilitation facility that Willis raped her when he was working as an orderly at the facility; and new details

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SNOHOMISH — The Snohomish River at Snohomish crept above flood stage an hour ago in downtown Snohomish.

And the National Weather Service says the Snohomish is forecast to rise another eight-plus feet before cresting at or above the all-time record sometime Friday, with major urban flooding of downtown Snohomish ensuing, as well as moderate to major flooding of the Pilchuck River through the Machias valley area.

The Stillaguamish River at Granite Falls is forecast to undergo moderate flooding beginning today.

This is a developing story.

Record Flooding Headed for Snohomish River Valley

WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and major flooding is forecast. This approaches the flood of record. J425 has experimental Flood Innundation Maps that predict where the rising flood waters will go after they top banks and levies.

WHERE...Snohomish River at Snohomish…Stillaguamish River at Granite Falls…and tributaries including the Pilchuck River along Machias…

WHEN...Until late Saturday evening.

IMPACTS...At 33.0 feet, the Snohomish River will cause severe near record flooding. Flood waters will likely overtop levees...with major levee damage possible. Flood waters will inundate much of the river valley...including SR2 west of Monroe...SR9 and the Lowell-Snohomish River Rd. Flooding will occur all along the river including headwaters...tributaries...and other streams within and near the Snohomish River Basin. A stage of 33 feet on the Snohomish River corresponds to a Phase 4 in the Snohomish County flood program.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

Flooding is underway. At 10:00 AM today,

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