The Olympian

Flooding closes Interstate 5, isolates some communities

Showers expected to abate after tonight

The Olympian • Published December 04, 2007

Rising floodwaters from severe storms shut down Interstate 5 in Lewis County until at least Thursday*, disrupting traffic on the Northwest's major north-south route and sending travelers on a detour across the Cascades.

School closures

•Hood Canal:
Schools closed

Montesano: Schools closed

Oakville: Schools closed

Grays Harbor College: all locations closed

Rochester: schools start 2 hours late

Centralia: schools closed


Thurston County road closures

•110th Avenue Southwest
from Delphi Road to Littlerock Road

128th Avenue Southwest at bridge from LeFrance Road Southwest to Mima Road Southwest

140th Avenue Southwest at Case Road Southwest

Bald Hill Road from Lackamas to Longmire Road (detoured onto Weyerhaeuser Road)

Bordeaux Road Southwest from Littlerock Road to Marksman Street Southwest

Erskine Road Southwest at 133rd Avenue Southwest

Gate Road Southwest from Hunter Road Southwest to 152nd Avenue Southwest

Hunter Road Southwest from Moon Road to the end

Independence Road Southwest at 201st Avenue

LaFrance Street Southwest from 128th to 123rd avenues southwest

Lemon Road, 4600-4900 block

Michigan Hills Road from Langworthy Road to Independence Road

Moon Road from 188th to 183rd avenues

Munson Road at Swift Creek

River Street Southwest from 128th Avenue Southwest to end

Smith Prairie Road from Lawrence Lake to Fennel Road

Smith Prairie Road Southeast at Neat Road Southeast

Waddell Creek Road Southwest from Delphi to Sherman Valley Road

James Road (one lane only)

Tono Road just east of Bucoda city limits (one lane only)

113th Avenue Southwest, Crockett Road intersection to Case Road (water over roadway)

Source: Thurston County Emergency Management

Olympia Road Closures

Olympia road closures as of Monday night:

Cooper Point Road and Black Lake Boulevard from the Highway 101 intersection to Capital Mall Drive.

Grandview Avenue at Madison

Cooper Point/Auto Mall Drive at the signal at Carriage Street, SW (west of the Percival Creek bridge; by the Auto Mall).

County road closures

•Cedar Flats Road
from Maple Valley Road to the end

Delphi Road Southwest at Cedar Flats Road

Littlerock Road at 133rd Avenue

Littlerock Road at Sargent Road

Highways

•State Route 8
at US HWY 101 Interchange

State Route 8 at milepost 15

Interstate 5 at Chehalis

Shelters

The Mount Rainier Chapter of the American Red Cross opened a shelter at Rochester High School at 19800 Carper Road in Rochester on Monday night.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. The Red Cross regrets that there are no facilities at the shelter for pets. Members of the public with special needs can call the Red Cross office in Olympia at 360-352-8575.

Forecast

The worst is over, according to the National Weather Service. The rain band has shifted inland and heavy rains have ended. Showers continue today. Winds also have eased. Tuesday's high will be about 53 degrees, with an overnight low near 37 degrees. Winds will be southwest at 17 to 25 miles per hour.




Rainfall totals

•3.10 inches
as of 10 p.m. Monday — breaking record for the day set in 1982.

2.12 inches fell Sunday at the Olympia airport, breaking the record set in 1975.

(* While the original version of this story indicated that I-5 in Lewis County would be closed until at least Wednesday, Jamie Swift, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation said today that the closure would last until at least Thursday.)

Crews in Lewis County rescued trapped residents from their homes by boat and helicopter.

In Grays Harbor County, two people died in storm-related accidents, much of the county was without power and virtually all roads to coastal communities were cut off. Winds gusted to 81 mph in Hoquiam early Monday.

Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency, and the Army National Guard prepared to activate up to 300 troops by early today to help the State Patrol manage traffic problems caused by the severe weather.

The record rain and wind that churned through western Washington on Sunday and Monday created other problems as well:

Raw sewage spilled into Budd Inlet when stormwater overwhelmed the sewage treatment plant in Olympia.

About 250 people in the Cedar Flats area of Thurston County were stranded after a bridge washed out.

Standing water blocked Cooper Point Road in the major commercial district on Olympia's west side, closing stores and snarling traffic.

The Deschutes River was expected to crest late Monday night at 14.7 feet. Flood stage is 11 feet. Flooding was expected in the Tumwater Valley, including the golf course, along with some residential areas.

Flooding closed state Route 8 in both directions in Thurston County, and a mudslide took out a popular barbecue restaurant.

U.S. Highway 101 was closed for much of the day; it was partially reopened Monday night.

Amtrak passenger service was halted between Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Join the Reader Network

Do you want The Olympian to keep you in mind when we canvass the community for opinions?

Click here and sign up with our Reader Network to offer your view.

TOP JOBS

All Top Jobs  »