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Scott Deal walks down McGeary Road near Kelso on Friday as the creek runs through his neighborhood after two days of heavy rains.
Scott Deal’s McGeary Road driveway partly washed away Friday after nearly three days of heavy rains and snowmelt overfilled nearby Ostrander Creek.
Divots about 6-inches tall spotted the mud pathway and gravel from another parking spot washed into the front yard of his Kelso home before Cowlitz County road crews made repairs, he said.
Heavy rain and snowmelt flogged the Lower Columbia River Valley from Wednesday through Friday, leaving little room in local rivers for runoff from overflowing creeks and lowlands. Nearly a dozen local roads were closed Thursday and Friday, including about a half mile of Ostrander Road near Kelso, which passes Deal’s home, and a section of Interstate 5 in Lewis County.
Washington State Department of Transportation reopened a section of Interstate 5 in Lewis County around 1 p.m. Friday after closing it in the …
But the end is in sight. A flood warning for the Cowlitz River at Kelso and Castle Rock expires 6 a.m. Saturday, reports the National Weather Service, and both locations are expected to reach below flood stage that morning.
Saturday calls for a chance of rain, but then clear, sunny skies Sunday, meteorologists report.
Cowlitz County Public Works Operator Dennis Childers said Ostrander Creek rapids reached around 4 feet high on the southern end of McGeary Road Thursday. County crews removed debris blocking the creek’s flow through the nearby Ostrander Road underpass, he added, alleviating the backup.
Scott Deal’s wife Kellie said about 1.5 hours after the debris was cleared, she could see grass in her yard again.
Kellie Deal watched inside her McGeary Road home Thursday, as rising waters overflowed from the adjacent Ostrander Creek and came within 3 inches of her front door, she said. In the 12 years she has lived on the street, she said similar flooding has occurred three times.
Continual rain and road closures left Scott Deal unable to drive home from his night shift in Kelso, he said.
During floods, a logging road off Ostrander Road opens, he added, so people can reach Holcomb Road, then North Pacific Avenue and I-5. But Thursday night, he said the bridge that runs over Ostrander Creek, just before McGeary Road, was flooded, so he couldn’t reach home even with the bypass.
High waters cover parts of a house, vehicles and trees Friday on Ostrander Road near Kelso.
Childers said crews likely will add gravel to the bypass to give the muddy road more traction. Crews have been working overtime, he added, including clearing a metal grate for roughly 12 hours until 10 p.m. Thursday to prevent North Kelso from flooding. He said some flooded roads could take days to clear, but as of about 8 a.m. Saturday Cowlitz County Public Works crews reported Ostrander Road had re-opened.
A fire hydrant on Ostrander Road near Kelso is nearly submerged by high waters Friday.
Jamie Poe lives on the eastern side of Ostrander, atop a hill just past the road-closed sign and above the rising waters. From her property, she can see her neighbor’s flooded back yards below, which was much worse Friday than during the typical rainy season, she said.
Below Poe, a bridge on North Pacific Avenue was flooded Friday by the rising Ostrander Creek underneath. A road that leads to homes along the creek, and before Spencer’s Trucking and Excavating, also was under water Friday afternoon, preventing access to and from the dwellings, and leaving a garage flooded.
High waters from Ostrander Creek flow over North Pacific Avenue Friday near Kelso right before Spencer’s Trucking and Excavating.
The Washington State Department of Transportation reopened a 20-mile section of I-5 in Lewis County around 1 p.m. Friday after closing it for several hours as flood waters rose.
Ocean Beach Highway has reopened at the county line from a slide Thursday, but remains closed at milepost 13 because of high water from the Grays River, according to the department.
Wahkiakum and Rainier schools were closed Friday due to washed out road conditions, while Castle Rock started two hours late and canceled three morning bus routes and morning preschool.
This page will be continually updated with information about road closures and damages caused by flooding on Jan. 6.
Local road closures as of Friday afternoon included Ostrander Road, Allen Street east of Corduroy Road and the Grade Street overpass in Kelso.
The city of Kalama reopened Elm Street, West Frontage Road and East Frontage Road Friday morning after closing them Thursday because of flooding from heavy rain. I-5 Exit 30 into Kalama reopened late Friday morning.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to report Ostrander Road opened Saturday and correct the day Cowlitz County Public Work crews worked overtime.
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Coming on the heels of December’s snowstorm, the heavy rain that hit Cowlitz County on Thursday overwhelmed city systems and pushed multiple r…
Scott Deal walks down McGeary Road near Kelso on Friday as the creek runs through his neighborhood after two days of heavy rains.
High waters cover parts of a house, vehicles and trees Friday on Ostrander Road near Kelso.
A fire hydrant on Ostrander Road near Kelso is nearly submerged by high waters Friday.
High waters from Ostrander Creek flow over North Pacific Avenue Friday near Kelso right before Spencer’s Trucking and Excavating.
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