TACOMA, Wash. — An atmospheric river brought heavy rain to western Washington, causing flooding and the threat of landslides to the Puget Sound region.
Several daily rainfall records were broken Monday. According to the National Weather Service, Seattle recorded 2.97 inches of rain, making it the third wettest day in Feb. Olympia recorded a daily record of 3.12 inches of rain Monday, making it the second wettest day in Feb. in the state capital.
In Bellevue, crews responded to a "water and debris flow" in the Somerset neighborhood Monday afternoon. It is the same site where a home was pushed off its foundation in January by a landslide and water main break. According to the city of Bellevue, the incident occurred just below the site where the home was recently demolished.
"It's believed that the recent heavier rain has caused some mudflow," the city wrote in a statement.
City staff said they do not consider the area to be dangerous, but they were "taking the situation seriously and using an abundance of caution." Neighbors who were kept from returning home after the last landslide were cleared to go back to their homes on Feb. 25.
Bellevue wasn’t the only area impacted by the latest storm. Landslides and road closures were reported across the Puget Sound region.
Road Closures
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) travel alerts website, sections of at least seven highways were closed due to landslides, water over the roadway or damaged pavement as of 11:25 a.m. Tuesday.
King County reported at least 19 road closures Tuesday morning due to landslides or water over the roadway.
Two landslides were reported on Rainier Ave S within about 10 hours of each other. The Seattle Department of Transportation said Tuesday morning all lanes were blocked from 57th Ave S to Cornell Ave S.
Two sections of State Route 162 near Patterson Rd E in Pierce County closed Tuesday morning due to mudslides and water on the roadway.
The WSDOT said the road is closed between Patterson Rd E (milepost 12.3) and milepost 13.2 near the Carbon River until further notice. SR 162 is also closed from milepost 15.49 near Arline Rd E to milepost 17.0 near Emery Ave N.
Road closures were also reported in Mason County Tuesday morning.
The WSDOT said both directions of US 101 were closed near Purdy Cutoff Road north of Shelton after trees and part of the hillside fell onto the road Monday evening.
The WSDOT said an engineering geologist inspected the site Tuesday morning and gave crews the “all clear” to begin clearing the road. There is no word when the road will reopen.
The city of Renton reported Nile Ave NE at NE 26th St closed due to water over the roadway.
State Route 7 was closed nearly a day in Lewis County from milepost 2 to milepost 11 due to flooding near Warner's Creek, according to the WSDOT. It reopened Tuesday around 2:45 p.m.
Click the links below to check other road closures by county:
Landslides
Washington's Department of Natural Resources maps out potential problem areas through its Landslide Hazards Program. It offers a Homeowner's Guide to Landslides with recommendations for spotting warning signs and taking mitigation measures- though some types of work require professional help.
"Risk reduction activities would be making sure that all your surface waters from your down-spouts or driveways are draining well off the slope, making sure you're not placing yard debris at the top of the slope or digging into the base of a slope, and making sure you keep as much vegetation on the slope as possible," said Landslide Hazards Program Manager Kate Mickelson, LEG.
DNR tracks recent landslides in the area and Mickelson said they had been prepared for a record year after storms in January that followed heavy, ground-saturating rain in November. But February was mostly dry, until this week's storms.
Power Outages
Click the links below to check power outages from western Washington utility companies.
School Closures
The Toledo School District in southeast Washington is closed on Tuesday. The White Pass School District in Lewis County was on a two-hour late start Tuesday.
Washington State Ferries
Download the KING 5 app to check the interactive radar near you, as well as the latest forecast, cameras and current pass conditions.