More rain in the Whatcom forecast, adding to Nooksack River flood woes
A wintry mix of rain and snow fell early Monday, Feb. 3, around Whatcom County, as weather forecasters warned that another series of storms poised to hit Western Washington could add to the misery of many flood-stricken residents.
Nooksack Valley School District plans to open four its five schools on time Tuesday, Feb. 4, according to Superintendent Mark Johnson. “Sumas elementary is still a question mark as it is surrounded by water still. The city is planning to bring pumps in tonight and we’re hoping for a two-hour late start,” he wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald late Monday.
The city of Sumas posted at noon on its Facebook page that Cherry Street is open and that it plans a community cleanup day starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Volunteers should meet behind city hall, 433 Cherry St., in the church parking lot.
“The focus will be picking up trash and debris in the common areas and roads. We will have another more detailed cleanup of houses that have been affected later on in the week,” the post noted.
The city is developing a list of people who would like volunteer help with property cleanup.
Residents are asked to not pump water from houses to the roads until it has been approved by the city as there are still high levels of water in parts of town.
Monday weather
Temperatures remained above freezing Monday, so nothing was sticking to roads even though some rooftops, cars and yards showed frost and a dusting of snow.
Higher elevations of Sudden Valley saw minor snow accumulations, the community association said on Facebook.
And the hills around Lake Whatcom sparkled white with fresh snowfall Monday.
Another dusting of snow was possible Tuesday morning, forecasts said.
Little accumulation was expected in the Whatcom County lowlands, according to National Weather Service forecasts.
Environment Canada, however, was predicting 2 to 8 inches of snow by Tuesday for the lower mainland of British Columbia, including Abbotsford along the U.S.-Canada border.
Rain in forecast
But temperatures will grow warmer Tuesday afternoon and rain returns in the lowlands and mountains above 4,000 to 6,000 feet, a trend that could continue for several days, the National Weather Service said in its online forecast.
“Another heavy rain event is possible for Western Washington beginning Tuesday night and continuing into Friday,” meteorologists said in an online statement.
Forecasts said 1 to 3 inches of rain is possible for the lowlands and 4 to 8 inches of rain in the Cascades.
“This amount of rain could produce flooding on many rivers, streams, and urban areas. At this time, there is a possibility of moderate or even higher flooding. The landslide threat will also be increasing,” the weather service said.
Roads still closed
A day’s break in the rain should give at least some measure of reprieve to waterlogged cities and towns along the swollen Nooksack River and nearby streams — from Marietta in the delta and upstream to Ferndale, Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, Sumas and Acme.
But dozens of roads remained closed around Whatcom County early Monday, mostly because of water or debris over the roadway, according to the county website.
“We’re still seeing a lot of cars still driving through water over the roadway,” Trooper Heather Axtman told The Bellingham Herald. “Our biggest thing is ‘turn around, don’t drown.’ If you see road closed signs, don’t question it. Just turn around. We see this flooding and so many people have a false sense that it’s just standing water. Some of that water is swift moving — swift enough to wash your car away. It’s so much smarter to just find an alternate route.”
John Gargett, deputy director of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management, wrote in a statement that driving past a closure is a $400 fine.
Border open, schools closed
Downtown Sumas was inundated with floodwaters from the Sumas River but the U.S.-Canada border crossing reopened Monday, as floodwaters eased, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
Schools were closed Monday in the Nooksack Valley district, which includes Sumas, Everson and Nooksack.
Lynden and Ferndale schools remained open because flooding wasn’t as severe.
Highway 9 was opened after weekend closures for flooding in the South Fork Valley and Interstate 5 was open Monday with one northbound lane closed near Lake Samish as workers repaired a landslide from Saturday.
Highway 9 opened Monday where it had been closed south of Sumas.
Whatcom Transportation Authority was detouring some buses around floodwaters, WTA tweeted Monday.
Floodwaters ease
Floodwaters were easing Monday around the Nooksack Delta, and a mandatory evacuation was canceled for Marietta, Gargett wrote.
“Roads across Whatcom County continue to have water and debris,” Gargett wrote. “As the waters recede, some roads will require inspection before opening.”
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Emergency center open
Gargett wrote that the county Public Works Department and emergency management officials are meeting daily during the crisis and that the Emergency Operations Center was opened.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu issued an emergency proclamation Friday, a move designed to allow public works, emergency officials and others to react quickly in a crisis.
Public works crews worked around the clock through the weekend and volunteer search and rescue crews helped assess damage, he wrote.
Garrett said all public agencies, including special districts, were tracking overtime, emergency costs or damages in advance of requests for state and federal aid.
Private residents and businesses can report damage to 360-778-5311, he said.
Bellingham Herald Reporter David Rasbach contributed to this story.
This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 7:26 AM.
