SEATTLE – Heavy rain and strong winds moving through Western Washington have some rivers already flooding their banks, prompting evacuations and road closures in flood prone areas.

The north and south Puget Sound regions were already getting hit with flooding.

A small dam failed at Cosmopolis, a small city just east of Aberdeen off Highway 101, early Wednesday, flooding several streets and about a dozen homes with several inches of water.

"We are seeing some residences that are experiencing water in their homes," said Mayor Vickie Raines. "It's limited to C Street to I Street and between 5th and 6th Street."

The dam at Mill Creek Park gave way after it was weakened by a falling tree. The dam also destroyed a foot bridge above the dam commonly used by children to go to school. The park has been closed as a safety precaution.

The city has hired a contractor to make repairs. Raines said they'll need to remove the bridge first before the dam can be shored up.

Officials are especially concerned that a hillside along State Route 12 going into Aberdeen may give way due to heavy rains. The hillside has given way in the past; if it gave way again, it could block access to Aberdeen along that route. Water was also covering other highways near Aberdeen.

Evacuations encouraged near Orting, Snohomish County

Early Wednesday, some 200 residents living along the Carbon River south of Orting received an automated phone call by Pierce County's Emergency Management Office encouraging them to evacuate due to flooding hazards.

While the evacuations are not mandatory yet, residents are taking precautions to protect their valuables.

In addition to the Carbon River, the Puyallup River is also a concern in Orting. Both rivers are above flood stage and are still rising.

The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management is also urging residents along Tualco Loop Road, Tester Road and 164th/Ben Howard Road to prepare for evacuation due to rising flood waters on the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers. Waters in that area are expected to rise above flood stage and begin covering roadways around noon.

Officials at Mount Rainier National Park have closed the park due to flooding along a main road.

 Also: Rainier closed

River flood warnings

About 17 rivers in the region are under flood warning. Many are expected to approach flood stage Wednesday and some could see near-record flooding by late afternoon.

Major flood warnings include the Skagit, Skykomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Tolt, Puyallup, Carbon, Nisqually, Cowlitz and Skokomish rivers. Rivers under minor to moderate warning include the Deschutes, Satsop, Cedar, Bogachiel, Chehalis, Nooksack and Stillaguamish.

Rain will be heavy from mid-morning through the afternoon in the Puget Sound region. Likely rainfall amounts through the evening include five inches or more over the Olympics and Cascades, one to four inches around the Cascade foothills, and up to three inches in the Puget Sound area.

We'll continue to see the heaviest rain south of Seattle, such as in Olympia, Sheldon and Enumclaw, and in the mountains, probably for about the next 10-12 hours, said KING 5 meteorologist Rich Marriott.

If the storm stalls over the region and continues to dump heavy rain, engineers say flood levels along the Snohomish River could reach that of the November 2006 floods by 4 p.m.

High winds

A wind advisory was in effect for the Puget Sound region Wednesday morning, with sustained southerly winds at 15 to 30 mph and possible gusts of 30 to 45 mph. Those winds will slowly diminish during the afternoon hours.

The Department of Transportation was keeping watch for high winds and issued an advisory for motorists on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to drive with caution. Strong winds could lead to bridge closures if the conditions turn hazardous.

DOT officials were also monitoring the 520 bridge and the Hood Canal bridge, which were not in danger of closing.

Washington coast

The coast will be very wet and windy, so will the mountain passes through much of the day where the snow level will rise to about 9,000 feet. Ridgetop winds could gust up to 60 mph.

The combination of high astronomical tides and an approaching strong Pacific storm system will likely result in minor tidal overflow Wednesday along the south Washington coast. The full moon Wednesday will result in the highest tides of the month reaching 10.6 feet at Toke Point around 11 a.m. Wednesday morning and 11 feet around noon Thursday.