North Whatcom still dealing with floodwater; this district will close schools Monday
With Sumas still flooded and Nooksack families “still digging out,” Nooksack Valley schools were closed Monday, Feb. 3, according to Mark Johnson, Nooksack Valley superintendent.
The district made the call shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2.
While water rose to the front door, it didn’t get inside Sumas Elementary, Johnson wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald
“There were a number of people there yesterday, placing sandbags around the school and getting stuff off the ground,” he wrote.
Schools were open Monday in Lynden, according to Superintendent Jim Frey. “Most (bus) routes were able to find alternate ways to get to homes to pick up students. We did have a few who we cannot get to until roads are reopened,” he wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Schools were also open in Ferndale, according to an email from Superintendent Linda Quinn.
More than 100 roads are closed due to water and debris, according to Whatcom County’s public safety briefing. You can check road closures online at the county’s website.
The county reminds drivers to not drive through water flowing over roads. “It only take three to six inches of fast-moving water to knock you off your feet and another few inches to move vehicles as large as SUVs,” according to the county’s website.
This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 2:40 PM.
