Highways open, flood threat lessens in W. Wash

Drier weather and falling river levels on Friday gave thousands of flooded Western Washington residents and business operators a chance to start assessing damage and cleaning up. Road and rail crews reopened most critical transportation links.

A 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 at Chehalis, closed since Wednesday by high water, reopened at noon Friday to truck traffic. Crews also had Interstate 90 through Snoqualmie Pass open in both directions by noon.

U.S. 2 across Stevens Pass was opened Thursday. The other major route across the Cascades, U.S. 12 across White Pass, had reopened to local traffic only but a section was closed Friday for slide removal.

Freight train service returned to normal Friday on north-south tracks in Western Washington, said Gus Melonas, a spokesman for Burlington Northern Santa Fe, after crews removed mud and debris along the lines.

Limited Amtrak passenger train service both north and south of Seattle will resume Saturday afternoon.

Here's an area-by-area look at key counties:

SNOHOMISH COUNTY:

The National Weather Service reported major flooding on the Snohomish River at the town of Snohomish. The river was slowly receding Friday, although the weather service expected it to stay above flood stage until Sunday.

The county Department of Emergency Management said about 40 roads in the county were flooded, including State Highway 9.

"Snohomish County has been hit hard by this week's floods, with rivers reaching 1990 levels," County Executive Aaron Reardan said.

KING COUNTY:

Rivers in east King County flooded several communities, forcing people into boats as streets in Snoqualmie and Duvall were submerged.

A chasm between 60 feet and 100 feet long had opened in a section of State Highway 202 east of Fall City on Friday.

Bob Marcey watched with binoculars Friday as the water receded from his Carnation home. He and his family were evacuated by firefighters Wednesday.

"It felt like the world was coming to the end. But right now I have the biggest sigh of relief I've ever felt," he said. "The sun is breaking through. The water is receding very fast."

Record flooding was reported on the Snoqualmie River at Carnation, but the river was receding Friday, the weather service said.

Ray and Cathy Gallagher were cleaning up their flood-damaged home in Snoqualmie. Mud covered their downstairs. Water pooled in their garage.

"I thought it was supposed to be a one-in-a-lifetime flood," said Cathy Gallagher. Their house also flooded in 2006.

King County Executive Ron Sims spent most of Friday touring east King County flood damage. He also spoke with evacuees in Renton.

PIERCE COUNTY:

In Orting, 10 miles southeast of Tacoma, Mayor Cheryl Temple said many residents had returned to the town Friday. Residents of the town and the surrounding valley, home to about 26,000 people, were warned to evacuate Wednesday. Sandbags were placed around many downtown homes and businesses as the Puyallup River neared record levels.

"We're currently assessing damage," Temple said. "We're still concerned about the safety and stability of the levee. (But) by and large, we fared pretty darned well."

WHATCOM COUNTY:

A mudslide early Thursday damaged five houses along the Mount Baker Highway near Deming. Washington State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary said no one was injured, but two people were temporarily trapped in one of the houses by a downed power line.

The Nooksack River overtopped levees north of Bellingham, cresting Thursday night at 22.76 feet, 3.76 feet above flood stage, and was still at 20.09 feet Friday afternoon. Some residents in Ferndale decided to stay put despite 3 feet or more of water in their neighborhoods.

"I'm looking out the window right now and it looks like we're on a boat on a lake. We're kind of on the inside of the bathtub here," said McLean Johnson, home with his wife, who is six months pregnant, and 2-year-old son.

"The water is nasty," he told The Bellingham Herald. "There's an oil slick on top; there's chunks of debris and garbage in there."

Scores of roads throughout the county and in Bellingham were closed by high water.

SKAGIT COUNTY:

Dozens of roads were closed and damaged by water throughout Skagit County, and many schools were closed because of the flooding. Although the Samish River has flooded at near-record levels, the county's major river, the Skagit, crested at 0.6 feet over flood stage near Mount Vernon late Thursday and only minor flooding was reported.

The state Department of Transportation reopened State Highway 20 between Sedro-Woolley and Concrete, but the road remained closed by slides east of Concrete.

Road crews Friday were clearing mud, rocks and trees that covered the highway east of Concrete. Officials said one lane of the highway would reopen to general traffic in two weeks.

A mudslide blocked State Route 530 between Rockport and Darrington, and officials expected it would be several days before one lane would reopen to local traffic only.

LEWIS AND GRAYS HARBOR COUNTIES:

Many areas devastated by floods in December 2007 faced more high water just 13 months later. The Chehalis, Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers in the county all flooded, but water was receding Friday.

In Grays Harbor County, sheriff's deputies rescued several people from flooding homes. Officials issued a voluntary evacuation notice for people living near rivers, including the swollen Chehalis.

PACIFIC COUNTY:

U.S. Highway 101 and some other roads were open again Friday after high water and landslides blocked almost every highway leading out of the county.