Landslide blocks Interstate 5 in Bellingham amid deluge of water. More heavy rain possible
A landslide is blocking both directions of Interstate 5 after a record-breaking rainstorm early Sunday morning.
Northbound I-5 is closed at Iowa Street and the southbound lanes are partly blocked, Trooper Kelsey Harding of the Washington State Patrol tweeted at 5:19 a.m. Sunday.
“Detours are being set in place, expect delays if you’re going through the area. There is currently no eta on the road reopening. Please be patient as crews work to clear the road,” Harding said.
There was no immediate word about injuries or the extent of damage.
Bellingham firefighters were dispatched to a rescue in the area, according to the emergency services app Pulse Point. Bellingham Police, Fire and Public Works officials didn’t immediately respond to calls and emails.
A video posted online by the Washington State Department of Transportation showed nearly a dozen emergency vehicles in the area.
Pulse Point showed several public service calls and water emergencies throughout Bellingham and Whatcom County in the wake of an early morning deluge. Social media posts discussed flooding at Bellingham International Airport and at other places around the city.
“The amount of rain we received this weekend is causing roadways across town to flood. Please use extreme caution if you must drive today,” Bellingham Police posted on social media at 7:20 a.m.
Rainfall at the airport showed 2.2 inches of rain fell in a thundering deluge from 1 a.m. to 4:53 a.m., breaking the rainfall total of 1.75 inches for Oct. 27 set in 1985.
Meteorologist Logan Howard at the National Weather Service in Seattle told The Bellingham Herald that rain will continue throughout Sunday, with additional drenching rain squalls possible.
“It was pretty heavy (rain). Almost all of that fell after 1 in the morning,” Howard said.
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