Debris Flow — Pend Oreille, Washington

2017-04-01 to 2017-04-15 · near Metaline Falls, Pend Oreille, Washington

Event narrative

Periodic heavy rain and spring time snow melt continued to cause travel problems in Pend Oreille County through the first half of April. Numerous secondary roads were damaged or cut by small stream and field flooding and debris flows. Most notably, Flowery Trail Road which crosses a mountain range and connects the towns of Usk and Chewelah was closed due to dangerous and unstable conditions caused by a 300 yard section of hillside slowly flowing onto the road bed.

Wider weather episode

Saturated soil conditions across northeast Washington caused by periodic heavy rain and melting snow during the month of March and into early April produced numerous debris flows and areas of small stream and field flooding. Travel in Spokane, Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties was disrupted by numerous road closures due to debris flows and flooding of roads during the first half of April. Many travel restrictions remained through the rest of the month with road crews unable to address the damage until soil conditions dried and stabilized.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (48.9930, -117.4274)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 692074. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.