Trees down, water closes roads in Thurston County

Tuesday’s rain and windstorm left an unwelcome mark on Stan Parker’s home on Delphi Road Southwest.

A Douglas fir on the adjacent Delphi Golf Course property came down on the roof of his garage, slicing into Parker’s office on the upper floor.

The tree fell about 4 p.m., Parker said. When he came home, he could see a branch sticking out from the garage roof. “That doesn’t belong there,” he thought.

But he also was lucky. “Half an hour later, I would have been there,” Parker said.

Because he was worried about water damage, he climbed on the roof with a tarp.

“In another storm, on another shed, I fell off and knocked myself out,” he said.

He estimates that the roof and office will need almost total replacement and was waiting Wednesday to hear from his insurance company.

Downed trees are keeping tree services busy, said Karen Drewry of Double D Tree Service, the company that came Wednesday to clear Parker’s property.

At another site, a fallen tree missed structures, Drewry said, but she had to reschedule her crews today to mobilize everyone for storm cleanup.

Her husband, Dave, is the other D of Double D.

“He takes one week vacation to go hunting, and this is it,” Karen Drewry said. “So, I get to run the show.”

Meanwhile, draining floodwaters continued to close some roads in south Thurston County.

As of Wednesday, the following were closed:

▪ 110th Avenue Southwest between Littlerock and Delphi roads.

▪ Tilley Road Southwest at the 15000 block.

▪ Anderson Road Southwest (gravel portion) between Highway 12 and McCormick Road.

▪ Independence Road between James and Michigan Hill roads.

▪ 188th Avenue Southwest between Moon and Anderson roads.

▪ Moon Road Southwest between 188th Avenue and Highway 12.

Flood warnings were issued for the following rivers:

▪ Deschutes River near Rainier. The last water level reading was 10.2 feet. Flood stage is 11.0 feet. Minor flooding is forecast.

▪ Skookumchuck River near Bucoda.

▪ Chehalis River at Centralia.

▪ Chehalis River near Grand Mound.

Now that the storm has passed, and the forecast looks dry and partly sunny through the weekend, people will be cleaning up.

Saturday is the last day to drop yard waste and recycling at Olympia’s Saturday Drop-off Site, located at the old fire training pad, 1000 10th Ave. SE. Fall leaves, yard debris, extra recycling or scrap metal can be disposed from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The site will reopen the first Saturday in March.

There is no fee for recycling or scrap metal disposal. Fees for yard and wood waste vary, depending on volume and the type of material. Customers must unload their own vehicles.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 8:34 AM with the headline "Trees down, water closes roads in Thurston County."