Skokomish River floods homes, closes roads



MASON COUNTY, Wash. -- The National Weather Service expects near-record levels of flooding this week along the Skokomish River.

By Tuesday afternoon all of the roads getting into the valley were closed and blocked off by water.

Many homes and farms were under water as the river rushed across the road, creating a very dangerous situation for drivers.

Joshua Hermann said he wouldn’t try to cross the water-covered road after he damaged his truck last weekend trying to do the same thing.

Now he can do little but watch from a distance as his neighbors deal with rising floodwaters yet again.

“I’ve got friends and family that are down there in the valley,” he said. “I’m worried about their houses and stuff and their wellbeing.”

Volunteer firefighters had to rescue their own after a fire truck briefly got stuck in a ditch and had to be pulled out of the mud.

Emergency responders were patrolling the area to make sure everybody was safe. Fire crews said they would escort homeowners out of danger but would not take anyone back inside the flood zone.

Forecasters expect the rain to continue for a couple more days: The Skokomish River wasn’t expected to crest until around midnight Wednesday morning.