Mudslides close two passes, bury parked vehicles near Lake Chelan
Mudslide closes off State Route 410 in Yakima County. (Photo: WSDOT)
SEATTLE -- Mudslides from Thursday's heavy rainstorms closed two passes over Washington's Cascades and also buried several parked cars and trucks in the community of Stehekin at Lake Chelan, authorities said Friday.
Rocks and mud covered Highway 20 -- the North Cascades Highway -- in several locations and the road was shut down between mileposts 147 and 171, the Washington State Department of Transportation said.
Mudslides also closed State Route 410 -- the Chinook Pass Highway -- about nine miles west of the junction of U.S. 12, near Naches, the department said.
Vehicles in a long-term parking lot at the mouth of Imus Creek at Lake Chelan were buried by a rock and mudslide, the North Cascades National Park said.
Meanwhile, a massive mud and rock slide in the community of Stehekin Thursday night buried many vehicles in the long-term parking area and at the mouth of Imus Creek, at Lake Chelan, the North Cascades National Park said. Businesses affected were Discovery Bikes and Stehekin Reservations and Fly Fishing Shop. Most of the bicycles were damaged or washed into Lake Chelan and the log cabin office for fly fishing and reservations was surrounded by mud and rocks.
An historic NPS storage shed at the Imus Cabin was filled with water and mud, the storage shed at the Lake House was damaged, and mud encroached on the public laundry building. Gas is currently turned off to that area to reduce the potential for fire. There were no injuries
A mudslide also closed Icicle Road, a popular camping area, about 11 miles west of Leavenworth. Rain from Thursday night’s thunderstorm washed rocks and woody debris into a 4-foot-wide culvert on Icicle Road, near the Fourth of July Trailhead, clogging the culvert and diverting water flow across the road, the U.S. Forest Service said.