Several Brinnon residents were evacuated as the Duckabush River rose into their homes Wednesday after a second day of heavy rain.
Three other rivers on the North Olympic Peninsula — Dosewallips, Dungeness and the Big Quilcene — breached their banks after a second day of heavy rain.
Two more rivers, the Elwha and the Bogachiel, were getting close to flood stage as of 5 p.m.
At about 5 p.m., five people were evacuated from a flooded home on Kelly Road near the Duckabush River, said Keppie Kepplinger, deputy director of the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management.
The residents, who lived between Duckabush Road and Duckabush River, reported being trapped by rapidly rising water and were evacuated by the Brinnon Fire Department, Kepplinger said.
Nearby residents were able to self-evacuate, she said.
Kepplinger did not know how many people had been trapped by flood waters.
The Duckabush River reached 7.23 feet, according to the US Geological Survey measurement site near Brinnon at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
No formal flood stage has been established for the river, according to the USGS website.
The National Weather Service measured 3.6 inches of rain at Quilcene in the 24-hour period between 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Community center
The Brinnon Community Center was open for residents displaced from their homes, and the Red Cross is prepared to open additional shelter as needed, Keplinger said.
Undersheriff Joe Nole of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, reported flooding at the Big Quilcene River at Linger Longer Road, Fred Beck Road and at Fremont and Munce roads.
Brinnon firefighters also had responded to flooding on the Dosewallips River on Tuesday.
The river had overrun its bank on Appaloosa Drive and was running through private property to the paved street at a high rate, said Fire Chief Patrick Nicholson.
Firefighters installed 50-60 sandbags around the affected area, slowing the washout, Nicholson said.
By 5 p.m., the river had fallen and firefighters monitored the situation through the night, he said.
Clallam County
In Clallam County, the Elwha neared flood stage while the Dungeness had spilled its banks Wednesday afternoon.
There was no immediate concern for homes near the two rivers, said Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Cameron of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were monitoring bridges and nearby properties for flooding or damage, Cameron said.
According to the USGS water monitoring site, the Dungeness River passed its 7-foot flood stage at about 3 p.m. and was at 7.19 feet at 5 p.m.
At 5 p.m. Elwha River rose to 19.92 feet at McDonald Bridge at 5 p.m. and was still rising.
Flood stage on the Elwha is 20 feet.
West End
On the Clallam and Jefferson county West End areas, while there was a lot of standing water and tree debris on roadways and tree debris, there was little new damage Wednesday, said Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian King.
Another 1.41 inches of rain fell in the Forks in the 24-hour period ending on Wednesday at 4 a.m. Another 1.83 inches had fallen by 5 p.m.
Power was restored to the LaPush area at about 8 p.m. Tuesday after outages caused by trees in wires beginning that morning.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging barge moored in the harbor at LaPush remained in place in Wednesday, after fears Tuesday that it would break loose from high water.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Bogachiel River near LaPush was measured at 36.32 feet, approaching its 37-foot flood stage.
The Bogachiel also approached flood stage Tuesday, but fell before reaching it.
Port Angeles rainfall
In Port Angeles, the rainfall totaled 0.6 inches for the Tuesday and Wednesday 24-hour period ending at 4 a.m.
The city had an additional 0.9 inches by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Wednesday morning, standing water flooded street corners as storm drains failed to keep up with falling rain, and a roof at Port Angeles High School sprung multiple leaks, partly flooding an indoor hallway during the heaviest rainfall.
“These are new to us,” said Nolan Duce, director of maintenance and facilities, referring to the leaks.
Maintenance crews placed a dozen trash cans under the steadily falling water, which stretched the entire length of the hallway and marked the wet hallway with warning signs.
Duce said repairs to the roof would be made as soon as possible.
Roads
The state Department of Transportation reported Wednesday that a new batch of fallen trees closed or partially blocked U.S. Highway 101 near Fuhrman Road, South Bogachiel Road and in West Clallam County.
In Jefferson County, trees fell overnight and into the morning at Highway 101 near Fuller Road in Quilcene and near Dallas Creek Road, as well as on Dabob Road.
A landslide with trees was reported on Paradise Bay Road.
Gov. Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency in five counties in order to help with emergency repairs to roads damaged in earlier storms.
The proclamation signed Wednesday allows the state Transportation Department to seek federal money for roadway damage that occurred between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1.
The proclamation covers Clallam, Jefferson, King, Skagit and Whatcom counties.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
