Washout: Unprecedented flooding forces evacuations, closes highways

Unprecedented flooding caused officials to urge the evacuation of nearly 40,000 people and disrupted travel for thousands more Wednesday as swollen rivers covered parts of Interstate 5 and inundated homes and businesses in virtually every county in Western Washington.

Tacoma declared a civil emergency, and a 20-mile stretch of I-5 was shut down from the Centralia-Chehalis area into Thurston County.

In Orting and the surrounding valley, 26,000 people were encouraged to seek high ground as rivers surged over soil saturated from recent snowstorms. Officials urged the evacuation of about 5,400 homes in Fife, and 12,000 people were asked to evacuate Puyallup.

The state's three main mountain passes remained closed due to avalanches and mudslides, cutting off most east-west travel.

All but three counties in Washington issued flood warnings Wednesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg.

The question was not which rivers would flood, but which wouldn't.

With I-5 closed and three of the state's major arterials blocked by avalanches and mudslides, Burg noted: "There's no place to go but north and the ocean."

And the worst hasn't even hit yet.

Rivers engorged with rainfall and melting snow were expected to continue their relentless expansion, in some cases not cresting until today or Friday. Silver storm clouds, reflected in the murky waters that inundated the state, were expected to deliver an additional 3 to 15 inches of rain today.

Chehalis, Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers in Lewis County were all predicted to crest at or near record levels by today.

3 to 15 inches predicted

The downpours and rapid flooding are due largely to a fast-moving "pineapple express" of warm, moist air riding the jet stream from Hawaii.

Wednesday morning, water overflowing from the Tolt River lapped up against the foundation of John DelCarlo's home just south of Carnation.

DelCarlo, who runs a glass company, said his biggest concern is the flooding to come.

Five inches of rain fell in Olympia during the 24-hour period that ended at 11 p.m. Wednesday, while 6.3 inches was recorded on Snoqualmie Pass, the National Weather Service said. Tacoma saw 3.6 inches during the same time period, and Seattle Tacoma International Airport recorded 2.35 inches.

More rain is forecast for today.

One bright spot ahead for weather-weary Washingtonians: A high-pressure ridge appears to be developing, which is likely to bring dry, warmer weather by the weekend, said University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass.

The tropical system fueled the flooding by rapidly melting snowpack, as much as 10 inches overnight on Snoqualmie Pass, according to the weather service.

More rain for Seattle

Seattle was spared much of the drenching that soaked the rest of the Interstate 5 corridor Wednesday.

But that was expected to change today when shifting weather patterns removed the protection Seattle has enjoyed by being in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains.

The flooding triggered evacuations of nursing homes, including one in North Bend, and the opening of shelters for people — and even livestock in Pierce County, Olympia and at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe.

Across the state, emergency and weather officials seemed surprised at the speed with which the rivers rose, even at predictable trouble spots. They scrambled to reroute traffic as the number of roads deemed impassable continued to grow.

A total of 60 roads were closed statewide and the Washington National Guard, already deployed for snow control in Spokane, dispatched another 450 troops to help wherever they were needed.

Thousands of travelers in King County were turned away from roads that officials described as "extremely treacherous" when the county shut down 20 roads.

Amtrak has suspended train service between Portland and Seattle at least through today due to mudslides.

In Lewis County, more than 50 people were rescued from flooding and mudslides, and more than 1,500 homes in Centralia alone were expected to sustain flood damage. That's more than twice the number affected by severe flooding in December 2007.

Emergency officials said this week's floods went beyond rural areas.

"We're seeing major flooding in the urban area," said Rob Harper, spokesman for Washington Emergency Management.

"We haven't dealt with something like this before."

Burg, of the weather service, said he expects several rivers will continue to flood, breaking records along the way.

The ground is saturated, the snow continues to melt and the rain is continuing.

The water, he said, has nowhere to go.

Susan Kelleher: 206-464-2508 or skelleher@seattletimes.com Seattle Times reporters Christine Willmsen, Sanjay Bhatt, Jack Broom, Sandi Doughton, Sara Jean Green, Mike Lindblom, Michelle Ma, Marc Ramirez Nicole Tsong and Charles Brown contributed to this report.