Floodwaters, closures could cause travel headaches for Whatcom County commuters
Standing water closed Hannegan Road south of Lynden overnight and was restricting travel on Slater Road south of Ferndale and access to Lummi Nation as the swollen Nooksack River swelled after several days of rain.
In Ferndale, where flooding was averted late Tuesday, Mayor Greg Hansen told The Bellingham Herald that the river was running high at nightfall but didn’t top its banks Tuesday night.”
“The water was right up close to the bank. It’s running high and running fast. There’s plenty of debris in there,” Hansen said in an interview.
Ferndale Public Works and other employees were working through the night or on standby, he said.
Hansen said that new electronic signs bought by Whatcom County would help guide drivers around closed roads and the new overpass on Thornton Road should help ease congestion if Slater Road fully closes.
“We’ll see how that overpass handles the extra traffic,” he said.
The river crested below flood stage Tuesday night, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center.
Rain is tapering off as an atmospheric river shifts south, the National Weather Service said online.
A threat of landslides remains because of waterlogged soil, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, several roads in the Marietta area and near Lummi Nation on the delta were closed or restricted because of water, including:
▪ Slater Road at Ferndale Road.
▪ Marine Drive between Lummi Shore Drive and Rural Road.
▪ Marine Drive between Bayon and Country Lane.
This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 9:00 AM.
