Storms cause minor flooding across Whatcom County

Sections of the Nooksack River are expected to flood through Wednesday, Dec. 9, but not at the levels originally feared by forecasters.

Rainwater and runoff from the mountains, fueled by the Pineapple Express storm systems moving through the area, are rapidly filling rivers in Western Washington.

The South Fork of the Nooksack River at Saxon Bridge, in the Acme area, was expected to crest below 9 feet, not far above the 8-foot flood stage, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center. An earlier forecast from the National Weather Service expected the South Fork to crest at up to 9.4 feet, which would have caused widespread flooding.

Instead, Whatcom County Public Works issued a notice that people should expect flooding slightly less than what storms produced last month. That still means lots of closed roads or dangerous ones. Drivers should not try to go through roads where they can’t see the pavement under the water. Do not drive around road closures.

Minor flooding also is expected in the Nugents Corner, Lynden and Ferndale areas as the river is expected to crest slightly above flood stage.

The situation was much worse in Skagit County, where major flooding was expected in areas including Mount Vernon.

Still, a flood watch remains in effect for much of Whatcom County through Wednesday afternoon, and a flood warning for those areas along the Nooksack River.

Rain is expected to taper off to showers Wednesday before more rain Wednesday night and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

With all the rain, the weather service also warned of an increased risk of landslides.

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 9:07 AM with the headline "Storms cause minor flooding across Whatcom County."