Attack Of The Mudslides: Puget Sound Buried Under Debris Thursday

ISSAQUAH, WA – Like something out of a 1950s science-fiction movie, hillsides around the Puget Sound region suddenly came to life Thursday, spewing mud and toppling trees across roadways and train tracks.

Per the state Department of Natural Resources, there were at least five slides on Thursday between Puyallup and Issaquah. But there has been a total of 19 since the beginning of February, which is – as of this writing – the sixth wettest February on record in the region, according to the National Weather Service.

Although there were no injuries reported because of Thursday’s landslides – a Renton police officer did narrowly dodge a slide – there were plenty of traffic delays. Here’s a roundup of all the slides that happened Thursday.

• Issaquah – This was the big one of the day. Around 5 a.m., a hill near Front Street along I-90 slid into the westbound lanes, trapping 13 vehicles and rendering the road unusable. WSDOT crews had one lane open by 8:30 a.m., but cleanup lasted throughout the day. The westbound lanes reopened by 3 p.m.
• Renton – Two back-to-back landslides closed almost all of Maple Valley Highway – SR 169 – for much of the day Thursday. Eastbound lanes were open by Thursday afternoon. After responding to the first slide, a Renton police officer narrowly missed getting hit by the second slide, which happened a few minutes after the first one.

• Puyallup – East Pioneer Way was closed near Shaw Road for the second time in one week due to a slide. All lanes of the road were closed throughout the day Thursday. Last Thursday, a slide closed East Pioneer Way for about 24 hours.

• Seattle – A small slide at Lake Washington Boulevard and 50th Avenue South near Seward Park caused traffic delays. Meanwhile, Highland Park Way in West Seattle’s Delridge neighborhood remained closed Thursday after a slide there Wednesday morning.
• Edmonds – Perhaps the most common area for a mudslide in the area, the Sounder north train was cancelled Thursday and Friday due to debris over the tracks south of Picnic Point Park. Technically, this slide happened on Wednesday, but Sounder service wasn't cancelled until Thursday. Sounder service should return by Monday morning, according to Sound Transit.

The final blow came Thursday afternoon when a slide closed all lanes of northbound I-5 in Woodland, which is halfway between Vancouver and Longview. A pickup truck was trapped in that slide, but the driver got away without injury. Are we out of the muddy woods yet? Probably not: more rain is in the forecast overnight Friday and into the morning rush hour.

Image via Washington State Patrol