Flooding, slides shut highways in Washington state
BELLINGHAM, Washington— Snow and rain continued to fall across the Pacific Northwest on Friday, forcing the closure of parts of Washington state’s two major highways — Interstate 90 and Interstate 5 — and causing flooding that swamped roads and closed schools in parts of Oregon.
In southwestern Washington’s Lewis County, a 32-kilometre stretch of Interstate 5 had been closed in both directions south of Chehalis because of flooding from the Chehalis River. All lanes of Interstate 5 in that area reopened Friday afternoon, according to Washington state Patrol Trooper Will Finn, who said other roads in that area were still experiencing flooding.
The major route across Washington’s Cascades — I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass — closed Thursday due to avalanche danger, heavy snow and low visibility. Stevens Pass on U.S. 2, White Pass on U.S. 12 and Blewett Pass on U.S. 97 also closed Thursday.
Transportation officials say the four mountain passes that connect Western Washington with Eastern Washington likely would remain closed until Sunday.
Part of one of the only other
roads crossing the state, State Route 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia River, closed Friday because of a fatal crash near Lyle, Finn said.
Washington State University cancelled classes Monday and Tuesday to allow students
ample time to return to Pullman in Eastern Washington following the week of severe winter weather, the university said.
Near Stevens Pass northeast of Seattle, the city of Leavenworth declared a state of emergency and asked for National
Guard help after 91 centimetres of snow fell in 24 hours.
City leaders were concerned about the weight of snow on buildings and homes.
In Seattle’s Magnolia neighbourhood, firefighters responded to a home that slid down a hillside. Video appeared to show crews rescuing a person and working to extinguish a fire just outside the home.
A man trapped in the home’s basement was extricated, according to the Seattle Fire Department. A woman escaped on her own while one dog died and another is missing.
Dozens of watches and warnings were in effect in Washington and Oregon, including a flood warning for the northern Oregon Coast following huge amounts of rainfall.
The National Weather Service said Hoquiam, Washington, received a record 14.68 cm of rain Thursday. Other areas saw nearly half of the rain typically expected for the month of January in one day.
In Centralia and around Thurston County, streets were flooding and Washington National Guard members were helping with filling sand bags and other requests, the guard said on Twitter.
In northwest Washington, snow was falling in Bellingham while roadways were flooding throughout Whatcom County. Exceptionally high tides and winds were causing coastal flooding around Birch Bay, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.