Heavy Flooding Shuts Freeways In Western Washington, Halts Interstate Commerce

January 8, 2009 10:01 p.m. EST

Seattle, WA (AHN) - Trucks were stranded in flooded freeways in Western Washington Thursday and halted interstate commerce as torrential rains and melting snow caused rivers to overflow and spill.

Amtrak also stopped rail service between Seattle and Portland after a levee broke causing the Stillaguamish River to spill onto Interstate 5, the only south-north highway going to Oregon.

It may take three days for I-5 to reopen, according to Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. She estimated lost business at $4 million per day.

The National Weather Service said the Snoqualmie River exceeded its flood stage of 54 feet rising to 61.5 feet at 3 a.m.

Road access to communities in Orting, Carnation and Aberdeen were also cut off because of the flooding. In Puyallup River Valley, 30,000 residents were told to evacuate while firemen urged some 26,000 residents of Orting to leave their homes.

A landslide at 1 a.m. Thursday stopped traffic in a stretch of road in the 9700 block of Rainier Avenue South and crews are working to clear it.

Forecasters said floods will remain until Friday in 14 counties in Western Washington and six counties in Eastern Washington.