Flooding persists after Pacific Northwest storms

Flooding coursed over roads and inundated farmland in Washington state as the Pacific Northwest slowly recovered from a series of storms that have deluged the region with rain and snow since Dec. 17

Northwest Storm (The Seattle Times)

Flooding coursed over roads, inundated farmland and curtailed access to a Native American reservation in Washington state on Sunday as the Pacific Northwest slowly recovered from a series of storms that have engulfed the region with rain and snow.

The swollen Chehalis River was expected to crest Sunday as the region enjoyed a dry weekend after a series of winter storms since Dec. 17. Crews, meanwhile, worked to open several major highways connecting Seattle to the east that have been closed for days by heavy snow, avalanches and debris.

Southwest Washington has experienced its worst flooding in a decade and some rivers crested at more than 18 feet (5.5 meters) last week, the National Weather Service said. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation on Friday.

The weather service issued flood warnings Sunday for Grays Harbor and Thurston counties. It said moderate flooding in the Chehalis River was affecting road access to the Chehalis Reservation near Oakville. A flood warning continued for the Pudding River in Oregon's Clackamas and Marion counties.

In Washington's Grays County, authorities were searching for a man reported missing after driving into floodwaters in Elma early Sunday, but it wasn’t known if the man was swept away or walked out on his own, said Undersheriff Brad Johansson.

The search came after emergency workers said Saturday they had recovered the body of a 72-year-old man whose vehicle was swept away by flooding near Cosmopolis.

Crews worked to open several major highways connecting Seattle to the east, including Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass and U.S. Highway 97 over Blewitt Pass, the Washington Department of Transportation said.

U.S. 12 over White Pass may reopen Monday, the department said. But avalanche danger and multiple snowslides reaching 35 feet (10.5 meters) made it unlikely that a 44-mile (70 kilometer) stretch of U.S. 2 over Stevens Pass would reopen before Tuesday.

At the eastern end of that stretch of U.S. 2, the National Guard was deployed to the hard-hit city village of Leavenworth in the Cascade Mountains for snow cleanup, food delivery and other services. Mayor Carl Florea asked for Guard help after the resort received 4 feet (6.4 meters) of snow in 48 hours last week.

Kelly Kortman spent the last three days clearing snow off decks and roofs of four cabins in the area he rents to vacationers, trying to make sure they don't collapse.

“It is a surreal state of affairs, it’s beyond the pale," Kortman told The Seattle Times.