Lightning flashes over downtown Seattle around 9:45 p.m. Thursday in this 30-second exposure shot from the Water Taxi Pier in West Seattle. The storm’s heavy rains damaged roads, overflowed sewers and caused mudslides. By one estimate, more than 5,000 lightning strikes hit Western Washington during the storm. (Photo by Jeff Abel / Special to The Seattle Times)
The Associated Press
A storm that dumped heavy rain on Washington state left a wake of damaged roads, a nearly 8-foot-high mudslide and overflowed sewers. But late-summer sunshine is returning soon, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service lifted a flood watch for Western Washington on Friday afternoon as the worst of Thursday’s storm had passed, meteorologist Johnny Burg said.
“We still expect some rainfall, but we’re not expecting anything to cause any widespread flooding,” Burg said.
Residents across Washington woke up Friday morning to inspect the storm’s damage.
One road in unincorporated King County collapsed, creating a sinkhole. Meanwhile, crews northwest of Yakima were working to clean out a nearly 8-foot-high mudslide that hit Highway 410, the state Department of Transportation said.
In Everett, city officials said 12 sewers overflowed into the Snohomish River and Port Gardner Bay. They said water quality at the outfall location was still being tested, but warned residents to stay away from those areas for the time being.
In Lakewood, a narcotics dog chewed its way out of a kennel at its handler’s home and ran away, presumably scared by the thunder and lightning. The police department asked the public for help finding the dog, and it later was found.
The rain came in fast and heavy on Thursday. Lewis County got some of the highest readings, hovering around 4 inches of rainfall. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport measured 1.7 inches over 48 hours, Burg said.
By one rough estimate, the storm brought some 5,900 lightning strikes to Western Washington, Burg said. Some isolated strikes could continue Friday, he added.
One quirk of the storm was a lack of rain in some places where there is usually a lot. Sequim and the coast didn’t register much rain, Burg said.
The forecast calls for sunshine to come back during the second half of Sunday, with a mostly sunny Monday to follow.
For those wondering, summer does not end, technically, until Sept. 22.