Debris Flow — Grays Harbor, Washington

2015-01-05 · near (hqm)bowerman Fld Ho, Grays Harbor, Washington

Event narrative

A slide on the bluff has blocked all 4 lanes in and out of Aberdeen on US 12. Aberdeen school district schools and Grays Harbor College are closed. Record rainfall was seen throughout Grays Harbor, with 10.2' near Lake Quinault and 5.5' at Bowerman Field in Hoquiam. A few homes were damaged by mudslides in Hoquiam.

Wider weather episode

The Snohomish County Sheriff reports several roads closed due to flooding: 118th Drive Southeast is closed from Three Lakes Road to the end; Norman Road is closed from Marine Drive to Miller Road.

Torrential rain caused landslides and flooding, including in one neighborhood in Hoquiam where water washed out the foundations of three homes, threatened others and forced the evacuation of about 60 nursing home residents, authorities said.

Police urged residents to leave their homes along an eight-block stretch of Queets Avenue at the base of Beacon Hill because of the danger that the whole bluff could give way. There was no exact number of evacuations, and no injuries have been reported. The nursing home was evacuated as a precaution, he said.

Several roads throughout Western Washington are closed due to flooding, including: Highway 101, U.S. 12, 107, 109, 105 and State Route 4.

The Transportation Department reported four landslides in the Aberdeen-Hoquiam area closing highways.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (46.9800, -123.9000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 556890. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.