Weather forecaster reports radar missed Pullman flood

A National Weather Service meteorologist last week reported their radars did not catch the rain storm that led to flooding of N. Grand Street in Pullman. Warning Coordination Meteorologist Andy Brown told the Whitman County Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) the weather radar in Spokane was not working properly during the flood.

The forecast showed the rain would lighten up when it hit Pullman, but the radar was actually scanning above rain clouds which delivered the blow to north Pullman.

"It's kind of an illusion that let our forecaster's guard down. Our situational awareness was not great that day," Brown admitted.

The radar picked up that it was .31 inches, but the observed amount of rain showed it was .70 inches. Brown said the first 911 Pullman call for the flooding April 9 was around 5 p.m., and the forecasters at the National Weather Service were not aware of the flooding in Pullman until around 7 p.m.

A flood warning was then issued at 8 p.m. that night.

"This is not your typical flash flood that you see in this area," he said.

The meteorologists concluded that recent snow melt and saturated ground were the main reasons for the severe flooding, Brown said.

Many of the attendees at the planning meeting mentioned they did not think there was a potential for flooding on a large scale.

"I became aware of the flooding about 6 p.m.," Cindy Bennett, WSU Cougar Health Services representative said. "My kids were on their social media accounts and they said, 'you've got to see this.'"

Brown said the National Weather Service plans on "over communicating" during weather events, like flooding to prevent miscommunication from happening again.

In a report from Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins, the water level record for Paradise Creek in Pullman was broken by about an inch.

Flooding on N. Grand came from water off the Missouri Flat Creek basin on the north end of town.

The report also showed there was no unified release of information for emergency management staff, or the public.

Approximately 17 businesses experienced some type of damage, and 11 of those had extensive damage, the report said. For example, the Ruckus Apartments in Pullman had severe damage to five of their apartments.

To receive state assistance, Pullman would have had to have 25 or more homes and businesses damaged. Also, 40 percent of the impacted structures would not have flood insurance. The City of Pullman did not meet this requirement, but there is another chance they could receive assistance.

Five or more of the businesses would have had to suffer heavy economic loss. This means, the loss of business, not physical damage. The report said the city is working with impacted businesses to determine if the economic loss minimum has been met.

Brown concluded his report with the summer weather outlook. In June, July and August there are predicted to be above average temperatures in Eastern Washington.

"There is going to be another active fire season," he said. "This means an increase in smoke and poor air quality like last year."

Hannah Kimball, Pullman Regional Hospital representative, said the regional emergency preparedness tabletop exercise will be on June 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Hospitals in Washington have federal requirements and medical services standards that they must complete for emergency preparedness, she said. There are functional exercises and tabletop exercises.

The Washington State Regional Healthcare Coalition has quadrupled in size, so rural hospitals have lost some funding for certain drills, Kimball said.

"We're scaling back to allow rural hospitals to decide what they need to practice for themselves," said Bruce Haley, Vice Chair of LEPC.

Kimball said the situation for the June exercise will be about an agricultural chemical exposure incident, and different local agencies will have to respond.

The exercise will take place at the Palouse Empire Fairground in Colfax.

"It'll be a great all-encompassing exercise," she said. "We also invited Fish and Game, and they were stoked that we would invite them."