Flooding may soon close I-5 in southwest Washington as predictions of major flooding in Snohomish County and elsewhere appear to be coming truer.
The National Weather Service is warning motorists to steer clear of the high water covering roadways.
“People just shouldn’t drive through flooded waters,” said Johnny Burg, a weather forecaster based in Seattle. “That’s the number one (flood-related) killer here in Washington.”
Dangerous conditions already have forced the state Department of Transportation to close Snoqualmie and Stevens passes because of avalanches, mudslides and standing water. Transportation crews are clearing snow and debris on the major Cascade passes assessing the danger before deciding when they can reopen.
In Lewis County, flooding could close portions of I-5 this afternoon, state transportation officials warned.
High water has begun to rise this morning along rivers in the Snohomish and Stillaguamish systems. Major flooding still is expected on the Snohomish, Skykomish and their tributaries, although crest levels may not set the records previously feared, said Christopher Schwarzen, a Snohomish County spokesman.
The Stillaguamish River at Granite Falls and Arlington already was in flood stage this morning, and rising fast. Record flood levels still are possible along that river system tonight, Schwarzen said.
As of 11:30 a.m., Highway 530 at Twin Rivers Park in Arlington was closed to one lane because of flooding over the roadway. Several dozen cars were backed up in both directions.
Julie Blacker waved to friends who were trying to drive upriver toward Darrington before the highway is closed altogether.
Blacker usually takes her two Great Danes for a run at the park, but had to keep them at home today.
“They won’t be coming here for a while,” she said.
Peggy Hancock stood on her porch off of Stanwood-Bryant Road near Arlington and shot video from her cell phone as water from Little Pilchuck Creek surrounded her house and garage. She said the water was the highest she’s seen in the eight years she has lived there.
“It’s not a creek right now, it’s a raging river,” she said. “We’re not unaccustomed to the flooding, but this is a little bit different than normal.”
She planned to wait and see what happened throughout the day before deciding whether to leave with her seven cats and an older dog.
“We do have a boat that’s floating on its trailer right now,” she said.
The threat of severe flooding has emergency officials hopping across the county.
“We are keeping a close eye on all rivers,” said John Pennington, director of emergency management for the county. “Public safety is our foremost goal during this event, and we feel prepared to handle this event.”
Weather service forecasts call for 5 to 10 inches of rain throughout the county and flooding on all major river systems tonight through Thursday evening.
The level of the Snoqualmie River, a major tributary of the Snohomish, shot up eight feet at Duvall, from just before midnight to mid morning today. Both directions of Highway 203 from Fall City to Carnation were closed this morning due to water over the roadway.
The Pilchuck River at Snohomish was running high and fast. Since Tuesday, the river level had jumped from about 11 feet to more than 18 feet, and the volume of water rushing by increased by six fold.
Water along Sultan River backed up into town. Five Sultan School District school bus routes were altered. Of bigger concern is the Skykomish River this afternoon, officials said.
“We are in flood stage right now along the Skykomish,” said school Superintendent Dan Chaplick. “We are in constant communication of whether we open the Emergency Operations Center (with Sultan).”
Sportsman and Riverside parks in Sultan are under water and the Skykomish River just east of Monroe appears to be running through farmland.
Sultan fire crews are staying in touch with the Snohomish County PUD as concerns rise that Spada Lake could overtop its spillway at the Culmback Dam, sending more water down the Sultan River, Sultan Fire Chief Merlin Halverson said.
Halverson said his crews are quickly being cut off from residents. Water has spilled over Mann, Ben Howard and Sultan Basin roads. The park downtown is under water.
A search and rescue boat is on standby at the fire department.
“We haven’t had any rescues yet. Our concern is that we’ll get calls from areas that we can’t access,” Halverson said.
The water came up quickly in the lowlands, Halverson said. He suspects the large amount of melting snow, still deep in places, is to blame. The ground is saturated and the rivers are filling up from the heavy rains.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this much snow and with rain on top of it, the flooding in the lowlands is worse,” he said.
Flooding and mud slides, caused by heavy rain and melting snow, were reported in other spots around the county, including Monroe and Stanwood.
A 40 to 50-foot landslide has shut down Old Owen Road just east of Reiner Road.
The force of the overflowing Stillaguamish shattered huge logs against the pilings of the Highway 9 bridge this morning.
Brad and Nancy Hovik of Marysville watched from the river’s edge at Haller Park.
The couple, who grew up in the Arlington area, drive to the park whenever the river floods. They took photos as the river rose above 18 feet.
“We’re sending these pictures to our son in Montana. People there don’t really know what this sort of flooding is like,” Nancy Hovik said.
Silvana was surrounded by water and the roads leading into the town all blocked off.
Near the mouth of the Stillaguamish, residents along Boe Road were using the dike to drive to and from their homes.
In Darrington water is covering Highway 530 in town, making it impassable for most cars, Mayor Joyce Jones said.
She’s also heard that Swede Haven Road is flooded.
December’s snow left drifts of up to 15 feet in Darrington. Around two feet of snow blankets most of town.
Jones expected snow to melt rapidly and flood city streets, but so far temperatures have hovered in the mid-30s, slowing the melt.
“We have so much snow around us, maybe it’s a good thing it’s not melting any faster than it is,” the mayor said.
In anticipation of flooding, city officials placed a pump in front of city hall and the library. So far, the pump seems to be working, Jones said. Both buildings are accessible.
Despite mounds of melting snow, there hasn’t been any flooding yet in Lynnwood, police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said. Heavy winds blew a tree onto the Pinewood condominium complex at the intersection of 200th and 56th streets Tuesday night. No one was injured.
Snohomish County opened its Emergency Operations Center this morning.
The horse barn at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe has been opened for animals that need to be evacuated.
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