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The city of [[Chehalis, Washington|Chehalis]] is located in [[Washington state]] and rests upon the [[Chehalis River (Washington)|Chehalis River]]. Due to the city's location in the Chehalis Valley along with the nearby confluences of the [[Newaukum River]] south of Chehalis and the [[Skookumchuck River]] in neighboring [[Centralia, Washington|Centralia]], the community has suffered from numerous floods. Some floods have occurred resulting from overflows of creeks and minor tributaries in the Chehalis river basin, and severe cresting of the [[Cowlitz River]] has occasionally led to flooding in the Chehalis area.
The [[flood stage]] levels of the Chehalis, Newaukum, and Skookumchuck have fluctuated upwards historically, based on the height of dikes, levees, and floodplain surveys. Water inundation from heavy rains and excessive snowmelt has led to a considerable number of historic flooding events in the [[twin cities]] of Centralia and Chehalis.
Accounts of floods are traced as far back as early [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] settlement and since the beginnings of the city of Chehalis. Most floods occur between November and February, with only one minor event, in April 1991, occurring after March.
==Flood causes==
===1900s===
The 20th century recorded over two dozen notable flooding events in and around the Chehalis community. The city was cut off, losing electricity as well, during a flood in January 1903, caused by heavy rain and snowmelt; the flood mark was {{convert|4|in|cm}} below the 1897 events.<ref>{{cite news |title=Waters Raged |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RENUAAAAIBAJ |access-date=April 24, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=January 9, 1903 |page=1 |archive-date=April 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424202405/https://books.google.com/books?id=RENUAAAAIBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> A large episode of rising waters, given the name the Schoumacher Flood after a man who was stranded for threes days,<ref name="HOFAP">{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Pat |title=History of floods a part of this community |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2006/11-11/page-3 |access-date=April 25, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 11, 2006 |page=3 |archive-date=April 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426092943/https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-chronicle-nov-11-2006-p-3/ |url-status=live }}</ref> occurred in 1906 as the Cowlitz River affected the area, again cutting off the city. Mail and railroad service were suspended for days and the flood of the Cowlitz considered worse than the 1867 flood.<ref>{{cite news |title=High Water Here |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hUhUAAAAIBAJ |access-date=April 24, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=November 16, 1906 |page=1 |archive-date=April 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426092944/https://books.google.com/books?id=hUhUAAAAIBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CBNTP">{{cite news |title=Travel Paralyzed |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkhUAAAAIBAJ |access-date=April 24, 2024 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=November 23, 1906 |page=1 |archive-date=April 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424202402/https://books.google.com/books?id=hkhUAAAAIBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Factory areas and parts of the {{ill|Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District|wd=Q122918596|short=yes}} suffered flooding in January 1909 after continuous rain and snowmelt caused the Chehalis to rise {{convert|19|ft|m|1}} above its low water mark; residents could only move about by boat.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chehalis River Causes Trouble |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1909/01-21/page-1 |access-date=April 25, 2024 |work=Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=January 21, 1909 |page=1 |archive-date=April 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240426092941/https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-daily-chronicle-jan-21-1909-p-1/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A record-setting event followed that November and was due to the excess rise of the Chehalis and Newaukum rivers which led to landslides, the inundation of the [[Southwest Washington Fairgrounds]], and caused significant economic losses to lumber milling in the city.<ref name="FNAL" /><ref name="HOFAP" /><ref name="IOAC" />{{rp|55}}
===1910s===
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