Rain-swollen rivers in the Susitna Valley crested before causing any major flooding Thursday, but forecasters say another pulse of precipitation is on its way.
The Yentna River crested by Thursday after leaving water lapping toward lodges there, said Scott Lindsey, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service's River Forecast Center. The Talkeetna River also "got really to the stage where problems start to happen, then it crested," Lindsey said. Gauges show the Parks Highway streams such as Montana and Willow creeks also were running high.
There's more rain in the forecast for Friday, he said. Precipitation will be heaviest in areas around Prince William Sound -- Cordova, Valdez -- but the storm could also drop more rain on the Talkeetna Mountains, sending those Susitna rivers back up again.
The situation going into fall in the Valley is better than last year, however, when flooding damaged hundreds of homes. Mat-Su borough officials say the dry summer this year created a better scenario for absorbing rain and mountain runoff than last year's wet summer.
Reach Zaz Hollander at zhollander@adn.com or 257-4317.
By ZAZ HOLLANDER