Known Geologic Events at Mount Rainier
The purpose of this page is to list all known, dated gelogic events at Mount Rainier, including lahars, debris flows, large rockfalls, large avalanches, rockfalls, and other events. This list is currently being compiled, so if you find errors or a missing event, please
let Scott know.
Database ID#: 159
Date: Friday, November 12, 2021
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Glacier Name: None
Drainage Basin: All
Event Type: Flood
Weather:
Atmospheric River/Pineapple Express Storm. Note that there was a second wave of this AR that went north and heavily impacted the Skagit/Whatcom county area. Hope, BC airport received 294 mm of rain (11.57 in) in 24 hours during that second AR (!!!)
STORM TOTAL PRECIP (11/10 - 11/12):
PARADISE: 11/10 - 1.02 in, 11/11 - 5.90 in, 11/12 - 2.91 in (9.83 in)
LONGMIRE SG: 11/10 - 0.95 in, 11/11 - 4.10 in, 11/12 - 2.28 in (7.33 in)
OHANA RAWS: 11/10 - 0.61 in, 11/11 - 4.24 in, 11/12 - 2.27 in (7.12 in)
LONGMIRE WX: 11/10 - 0.23 in, 11/11 - 1.53 in, 11/12 - 1.32 in (3.08 in) -- NOTE: Shannon said that this site had an issue with the rain gage during the storm ( = unreliable)
KAUTZ SG: 11/10 - 0.87 in, 11/11 - 3.99 in, 11/12 - 1.91 in (6.77 in)
ASHFORD RAWS: 11/10 - 0.22 in, 11/11 - 2.25 in, 11/12 - 1.39 in (3.86 in)
WHITE RIVER SG: 11/10 - 0.03 in, 11/11 - 1.75 in, 11/12 - 1.95 in (3.73 in)
Season: Wet
Notes:
Nisqually River at National peaks:
11/12/2021 05:30 - 10.45 ft (11,230 cfs)
11/12/2021 06:30 - 10.45 ft (11,230 cfs)
11/12/2021 15:30 - 10.48 ft (11,316 cfs) - 7.20 yr RI
Carbon @ Fairfax: 7,360 cfs (5.83 yr RI)
IMPACTS:
CARBON RIVER ENTRANCE ROAD
46.994972, -121.915972
Additional damage occurred to the ERFO project area to include the entire roadway being washed out.
GROVE OF PATRIARCHS SUSPENSION BRIDGE
46.763000, -121.556417
Site visit on 11/16 shows need for permanent repairs scope of approximately 100 CY fill, 75 ft bank stabilization, stabilization or demolition/reconstruction of footing/abutment, repair or replacement of ~75% vertical support elements moderately to severely damaged, repair or replacement of ~50% of horizontal support elements mildly to moderately damaged.
SR123 UNNAMED TRIBUTARY TO DEER CREEK - LANDSLIDE
46.835149213079646, -121.52296276728585 (unsure)
Site visit on 11/16 at WSDOT MP ~12.5 where landslide blocked roadway, buried culvert and diverted the stream overtop the roadway. Significant material on ~175 linear feet of the roadway plus minor debris on an addition ~250' downhill totaling ~1,500 CY. Damage to culvert unknown, unable to be located on either up or downstream end - buried in at least 1,000 CY of debris material in the channel.
OHANAPECOSH CAMPGROUND LOOP F CULVERT
46.738750, -121.568333
Site visit on 11/16 shows that damaged to roadway prism occurred as well as damage to the culvert. The outlet appears rotated 10-15 degrees clockwise and shows signs of flow outside of culvert but through roadway prism indicating culvert replacement is needed. Minor material need to reestablish fill and stabilization of inlet and outlet side slopes.
WHITE RIVER ENTRANCE COMFORT STATIONS (Tree fall)
Site visit on 11/16 shows extensive damage to both comfort stations.
LONGMIRE STREAM GAGE:
In-water equipment was buried and cables destroyed. Unknown status of in-water equipment under sediment accumulation - probably destroyed. Incision of right bank may lead to moving the entire site.
TAHOMA CREEK STREAM GAGE:
Cable link between In-water stream gage and remote transmitter was affected. Also, the remote transmitter was moved and is not communicating with the main transmitter.
NARADA FALLS ROAD BUBBLE
46.77725460016173, -121.74509947829102 (approx)
The bubble in the roadway (uphill lane) above Narada Falls was active again. When I saw it on Friday, it was raised up only a few inches.
Estimated Velocity:
Estimated Peak Flow: 11,300 cfs @ Nisqually River at National (7.20 yr RI); 7,360 cfs @ Carbon River at Fairfax (5.83 yr RI)
Estimated Volume:
References:
Data references:
Beason, S.R., 2012, Small glacial outburst flood occurs on Mount Rainier - October 27, 2012: Unpublished National Park Service Science Brief, 3 p.
Beason, S.R., et al., in prep, Glacial outburst floods and debris flows from the South Tahoma Glacier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington: August and September, 2015: National Park Service Natural Resource Report NPS/MORA/NRR-2015/XXX.
Copeland, E.A., 2010, Recent periglacial debris flows from Mount Rainier, Washington: M.S. Thesis, Oregon State University, 125 p.
Copeland, E.A., P.M. Kennard, A.W. Nolin, S.T. Lanscaster and G.E. Grant, 2008, Initiation of recent debris flows on Mount Rainier, Washington: A climate warming signal? American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Crandell, D.R., 1971, Postglacial lahars from Mt. Rainier volcano, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 677, 75 p.
Donovan, K.H.M, 2005, An investigation into the 2003 Van Trump Creek debris flow, Mt. Rainier, Washington, United States of America: BSc Geological Hazards Thesis, University of Portsmouth (UK), 58 p.
Driedger, C.L. and A.G. Fountain, 1989, Glacier outburst floods at Mout Rainier, Washington State, USA: Anals of Glaciology, Vol. 13, 5 p.
Hodge, S., 1972, The movement and basal conditions of the Nisqually Glacier, Mount Rainier: Ph.D Thesis, Univeristy of Washington, xxx p.
Legg, N.T., 2013, Debris flows in glaciated catchments: A case study on Mount Rainier, Washington: M.S. Thesis, Oregon State University, 162 p.
Legg, N.T., A.J. Meigs, G.E. Grant and P.M. Kennard, 2014, Debris flow initiation in proglacial gullies on Mount Rainier, Washington: Geomorphology, Vol. 226, p. 249-260.
Richardson D., 1968, Glacier outburst floods in the Pacific Northwest: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 600-D, D79-D86.
Samora, B., 1991, Chronology of flood events as noted in the superintendent's annual reports 1940-1991, Unpublished Internal Document, Mount Rainier National Park, WA, 13 p.
Scott, K.M., J.W. Vallance, and P.T. Pringle, 1995, Sedimentology, behavior, and hazards of debris flows at Mount Rainier, Washington: United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 1547, 56 p.
Vallance, J.W., C.L. Driedger and W.E. Scott, 2002, Diversion of meltwater from Kautz Glacier initiates small debris flows near Van Trump Park, Mount Rainier, Washington: Washington Geology, Vol. 30, No. 1/2, p. 17-19.
Vallance, J.W., M.L. Cunico and S.P. Schilling, 2003, Debris-flow hazards caused by hydrologic events at Mount Rainier, Washington: United States Geological Survey Open-File Report 2003-368, 4 p.
Walder, J.S. and C.L. Driedger, 1994, Geomorphic changed caused by outburst floods and debris flows at Mount Rainier, Washington, with emphasis on Tahoma Creek valley: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 93-4093, 100 p.
Walder, J.S. and C.L. Driedger, 1994, Rapid geomorphic change caused by glacial outburst floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek, Mount Rainier, Washington, USA: Arctic and Alpine Research, Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 319-327.
Walder, J.S. and C.L. Driedger, 1995, Frequent outburst floods from South Tahoma Glacier, Mount Rainier, USA: relation to debris flows, meterological origin and implications for subglacial hydrology: Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 41, No. 137, 11 p.