x
Breaking News
More () »

Heavy rain causes flooding, landslides in northwest Washington

The National Weather Service says the heaviest rains and strongest winds are over, but showers will linger through the weekend and the risk for landslides continues.

A Flood Warning remains in effect for much of Puget Sound, including Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties.

The National Weather Service Seattle says many rivers will crest and recede through early Monday. The heaviest rains and strongest winds are over, but showers will linger, according to the NWS.

The heavy rains caused a logjam in the Snohomish River near the US 2 and I-5 interchange. WSDOT crews brought multiple crews out to help clear the logs.

In Sultan, the downtown area was underwater for much of Saturday. So far, there have been no reports of injuries or extensive damage due to the flooding.

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office tweeted multiple road closures due to water over the roadways. The closures could last until Sunday in some areas, sheriff officials said.  

For a list of current King County road closures, click here.

Saturated soils due to the heavy rain have increased the threat of landslides through the weekend. A landslide on northbound I-5 near Bellingham closed the highway for hours.

Credit: KING
A slide in NB I-5 closed all lanes south of Bellingham Saturday morning

RELATED: Landslide blocking NB I-5 near Bellingham

Snohomish County Public Utilities continued to work on restoring power to thousands of customers. High winds overnight Friday caused several power lines to come down. 

A tent was even blown off the ground and ended up in the power lines, but luckily PUD crews were able to respond to remove it quickly. 

In Seattle, a tree toppled over onto a Seattle Pacific University building late Friday night. It's unclear exactly what caused the tree to fall, but KING 5 meteorologists say the combination of saturated soil and wind gusts between 20-30 mph overnight could have played a role.

RELATED: Western Washington forecast

Skagit County Commissioners declared a state of emergency due to weekend rains threatening to flood some areas. The Red Cross opened an emergency shelter in Lyman for people affected by flooding and power outages. 

Temperatures are expected to drop going into Sunday morning, which could bring a chance for a rain/snow mix to some lowland areas in western Washington. However, very little accumulation is expected.

Before You Leave, Check This Out