‘One heck of a mess’

SNOHOMISH – The Thorp family came home Thursday.

A hungry cat and a layer of brownish-gray sludge met them.

“Oh that’s a mess, that’s one heck of a mess,” 12-year-old Daniel Thorp said.

Around Snohomish County on Thursday, roads reopened, families started returning to soggy houses and officials tried to assess damage.

And perhaps most important, the rivers continued their slow but steady fall back within their banks.

Officials predicted the Snohomish River would fall below flood stage late Thursday night.

The National Weather Service said flood warnings for the river likely will be canceled by today.

“The river is receding, which is good news,” Snohomish city manager Larry Bauman said.

Lower water meant many of the region’s roads could reopen.

Fast moving state transportation crews opened Highway 9 early Thursday morning, saving commuters from another nightmarish drive to work.

The road was closed Tuesday night after the Snohomish River topped several levees in the Snohomish area and washed over the highway south of the river.

The state hadn’t expected to open the road in time for the Thursday morning commute, but the Snohomish River dropped faster than expected and there was no damage to the road.

“It took us one hour to get the road opened,” said Mel Reitz, area maintenance superintendent for the state Department of Transportation. “It went smoothly because there was no mud or silt on the water.”

There was a strong current running over the road during the flood, but there was no damage because the downstream side of the highway had been rebuilt with large rocks that diffused the water’s impact, Reitz said.

“During some of the last floods, we used some large angular rock,” he said. “We armored the downstream embankment with that.”

The bridge to Index reopened Thursday. That road was closed late Monday, isolating the mountain town.

As county officials surveyed roads, several homeowners called the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Thursday to report private property damage.

About $76,000 had been tallied by Thursday, a number that is likely to rise as people who lost their homes call in, deputy director Chris Badger said.

Countywide damage will likely cost millions, officials predicted Wednesday. The state expects to apply for federal aid to foot the bill.

Snohomish County tops Gov. Chris Gregoire’s list for emergency flood relief. Island County was added Thursday.

In Snohomish, the city won’t know exactly how much damage was caused until the floodwaters finish going down, Bauman said.

Along Lincoln Avenue, sludge, tree stumps and other debris littered the road.

Whole trees piled up against farmer Allen Stocker’s fence, which was still partly submerged in the floodwaters.

When asked how he felt seeing his 200 acres under water, Stocker said, “no different than I did in ‘75 or ‘90 – devastated.”

Across the street, Tami Tighe and her son, Nathan, were looking through their garage and basement. Floodwaters rose about four feet, leaving behind soaked boxes, a thick layer of sludge and a giant cleanup project.

“I’m going to get squeegees and a shop vac and start cleaning,” Tami Tighe said.

The single mother has lived in the blue rental home for about four years. She’s watched floodwaters creep up the driveway before, “but it’s never come in here,” she said.

Boxes were piled high on wooden palettes and mattresses they’d strung up from garage door rails to prevent water damage.

Still, a few belongings on the ground were rendered trash.

“It’s not as bad as I thought,” Tami Tighe said.

Neighbor Kim Thorp was getting ready to start washing up.

“We’re going to get some bleach and start bleaching everything,” she said.

Mud-caked areas should first be cleaned with soap and water or a pressure hose, said Bruce Straughn, a sanitation expert with the Snohomish Health District.

Then, people should use a disinfectant such as bleach to get rid of any bacterial contamination, he said.

Any kind of hard surface can be cleaned. Carpeting or mattresses should be thrown away, he said.

American Red Cross spokeswoman Abi Weaver said volunteers expect to distribute about 300 cleaning-supply kits today to residents in the Ebey Island and Stanwood areas.

The kits also are available at Red Cross shelters in Monroe and Granite Falls.

Gas leaks, weakened foundations and electrical damage all cause hazards, she said. Homeowners should use extreme caution before entering a house that’s been flooded.

Other problems can come from flooded septic systems. They shouldn’t be used until floodwaters recede and the ground dries out, Straughn said.

Well water also can be unsafe until it’s disinfected and lab results come back clean, he said.

County officials are distributing vouchers for free disposal of water-damaged household goods.

Cleanup efforts may be hampered by more winter storms predicted to move through the area through the weekend.

The storms are not expected to cause more flooding, the weather service said.

Crews on Thursday worked to reinforce a levee in the Startup area, Badger said.

Elsewhere, levees seemed to be holding up.

On Ebey Island, diking district commissioner Barney Bagwell said dikes there held.

Still, with several more months of winter storms ahead, Bagwell struck a cautious tone.

“It’s the start of the winter. It’s a long way away from the end of the flood season,” he said.