State Highways 112 and 110 were shut down in flood-prone areas Sunday because a storm washing in from the Pacific Ocean caused heavy rain Saturday and early Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
The rain was expected to taper off Sunday night and although showers are expected the rest of the week — including another rain system moving in today — they are not expected to cause more flooding, said Johnny Burg, meteorologist for the National Weather service.
“Because of the Pineapple Express effect, the snow levels moved up to about 8,000 feet,” Burg said.
“So a lot of that rain that would fall on the mountains as snow in colder temperatures was falling as rain and washed right off the mountains and into the rivers.”
Access to LaPush on state Highway 110 was cut off at Milepost 8 by the Bogachiel River’s waters reaching 41.2 feet — which is over the 37-foot flood level — from about 6:30 a.m. Sunday until well into the night.
Highway 112 was shut down in both directions at about 8 a.m. Sunday. The flooded area could be bypassed by using state Highway 113 and U.S. Highway 101.
No other road leads into LaPush, said Undersheriff Ron Peregrin, but the U.S. Coast Guard Station Quillayute River was beyond the blockage to help if an emergency situation arose.
A voluntary evacuation was enacted for a “handful” of people who live near the Quillayute River on Whitcomb-Diimmel Road near Forks, Peregrin said.
The Dungeness River — reaching 7.6 feet with the flood stage at 7 feet — sloshed into people’s yards in the lower river area, even reaching their porches, when the river crested at around 4 p.m., Peregrin said.
Even so, no one had to be evacuated in that area.
“We have isolated homes and things on Whitcomb-Diimmel with the water coming up to them, but nothing of any significance,” said Peregrin.
The Dungeness River’s rushing waters carried large logs with it and flooded the parking lot at Railroad Park.
Highway 112 was blocked by standing water on the street near Milepost 23 — near the intersection with state Highway 113.
The Pysht River didn’t reach flood warning stage, according to the National Weather Service.
Clallam County Fire District No. 5 Chief Trish Hutson said the flooding was not atypical for this time of year, and no aid calls were dispatched.
Peregrin, who heads up Emergency Management for Clallam County, said he and his team were watching the weather and conditions but that the worst of it seemed over by about 4 p.m. Sunday.
The Elwha River reached 20.8 feet with the flood stage at 20 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
Peregrin said that a couple of parking lots in at the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation were flooded, but that no structures appeared to be in danger.
Russell Road in Forks was shut down because of a washout of a culvert, said Mayor Bryon Monohon.
“We’re soggy here,” he said.
“Now [Russell Road] is really flooded and we sealed the road off at about 8:30 a.m., and it is possible we have another hole down there [in the culvert] or that the roadway has washed away.”
The culvert is to aid Mill Creek in the area where it converges with the Bogachiel River, he said.
Other roads that were partially or completely closed included: Ward Road in Sequim and Mount Pleasant, Deer Park and Township roads near Port Angeles. •
No flooding danger was reported in Jefferson County, Sheriff Tony Hernandez said.
Early morning reports of possible flooding of the Duckabush River near Brinnon never came to fruition, but Jefferson County Emergency Management was partially activated to monitor the situation.
The rain was affecting Kelly Road, “and for a while, they were looking at evacuating some people, but we didn’t end up doing that,” Hernandez said.
The Duckabush never reached flood levels, according to the National Weather Service.
“We dodged a bullet with this one,” said Bob Hamlin, Jefferson County Community Preparedness manager.
“Most of the real issues are in the eastern Puget Sound.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
