Buses and trains were disrupted, Christmas Ships didn’t sail, residents lost power, and road crews stayed busy Tuesday as rain continued to pour and winds picked up in Clark County.
At Pearson Airfield, 1.61 inches of rain fell from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and wind gusts of 29 mph were reported there around 6 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The agency forecasted morning showers today, with up to an inch of rainfall likely in the evening.
A tree fell onto a power line around 5 p.m., temporarily cutting power to 480 customers in the Salmon Creek and Hazel Dell areas, according to Clark Public Utilities.
High winds also forced Christmas Ship Parade organizers to cancel both of Tuesday night’s fleets.
“The wind and rain are causing conditions to deteriorate beyond our comfort level,” organizers said on their website.
Water continued to flood roadways around Vancouver, said Loretta Callahan, the city’s Public Works spokeswoman. The city came close to closing Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard between Southeast 172nd and 192nd avenues, as it had Monday.
“We exhausted our supply of high water signs today,” she said, adding that crews improvised with “slow” signs and barricades, she said.
C-Tran buses on Fourth Plain Boulevard were rerouted for standing water, she said, but the road was never closed.
Amtrak halted service between Portland and Vancouver because water was over the tracks 4 miles north of downtown Portland, said BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas.
Two Amtrak trains were “walked” along the lines in the late afternoon, he said, but service was suspended for the rest of the night. Railway officials will assess the tracks Wednesday morning to determine if they’re safe for passenger train use.
Freight traffic was forced to slow down, he said, but did not have to stop.
In north Clark County, flood waters receded from JA Moore Bridge, on Northeast JA Moore Road near Northeast 284th Street, according to Clark County Public Works, but water remained over the roadway to the south. County crews were removing debris from around the bridge in the afternoon, and it remained closed Tuesday night.
“The call volume has not been overwhelming, but it’s hard to say,” Jeff Mize, Clark County Public Works spokesman, said Tuesday evening. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we’re anywhere close to being out of this.”
Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn said Tuesday afternoon that there were no significant crashes or incidents on the county’s highways.
“It was a lot calmer today than it was yesterday, that’s for sure,” he said.
He asked drivers to remember to avoid deep, standing water and to slow down. Posted speed limits are for ideal conditions: clear weather, good visibility and light traffic.
“Once fog or rain or ice and everything else comes into play, we need drivers to slow down,” he said.
