Pierce County emergency management officials have recommended that 26,000 residents in the Orting Valley evacuate immediately.

The notice was sent out via the county's reverse 911 call system this afternoon. About 6,000 residents in Orting and 20,000 in the Orting Valley were urged to get to higher ground.

"Due to the dangerous nature of this situation, citizens should stay away from the river and stay off the levees," the county's Department of Emergency Management reported. "Only call 9-1-1 for life threatening emergencies."

"They expect the Town of Orting to go underwater," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. "This is going to be worst than 1996."

The Puyallup River is expected to crest around 20 feet at 10 p.m., Orting officials reported this afternoon. That's a foot below the record and several feet below the 2006 flood level of 12 feet.

Orting Mayor Cheryl Temple said officials haven't make an evacuation recommendation like they did today in 22 years.

City officials were anticipating the floodwater to hit Orting any time now.

Firefighters and other officials have been announcing the orders via bull horns and loud speakers in the town and surrounding communities.

"They'll be hearing fire department personnel," Troyer said.

Teams of swiftwater rescuers were staging in the area. King County's Guardian One helicopter just lifted off to do an assessment of the river.

"We're all staging at this point," Troyer said.

Meanwhile, Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy has declared a state of emergency in Pierce County.

The proclamation is based on the current and projected flood warnings for the Puyallup, Nisqually and Carbon rivers, according to a county press release.

"The proclamation allows Pierce County departments and Emergency Management to take emergency actions and provide emergency services to protect health and safety of persons and properties," the county reported.

UPDATE: Flooded roadways are prompting Sumner middle and high schools to be dismissed one hour early this afternoon.

Since portions of Highway 410 are closed, school buses need to be rerouted and it will take longer for students to get home, Sumner School District spokeswoman Ann Cook said.

In addition, all district afternoon and evening activities have been canceled. For more updates on Sumner schools, call the district hotline at 253-891-6001 or check sumner.wednet.edu.

UPDATE 2: Officials have halted sandbagging efforts in Orting.

"It's too dangerous," Troyer said. "The water is coming over the top of the sandbags."

Rescuers also are headed to River Road to help a mom and two children who reportedly are trapped in moving water. A bystander helped get the woman and children out of the area before rescuers arrived, Troyer said.

UPDATE 3: Yelm schools have sent students at Lackamas Elementary home early today because of concerns that Lackamas Creek will flood Bald Hills Road.

UPDATE 4: Officials went door-to-door in the Village Green and White Hawk Prairie subdivisions to tell residents of the evacuation recommendations.

UPDATE 5: No injuries have been reported yet. There have been about a dozen calls for rescues, which is more than in 2006.