Landslide in Bellingham, Washington closes off Interstate -5
Record-breaking rains caused a massive landslide in Bellingham, Washington, on Sunday, October 27, 2024, blocking a three-mile stretch of northbound Interstate 5.
Vehicles stuck in debris after a landslide struck Interste-5 in Washington. Image credit: WSDOT North
Record-breaking rainfall triggered a landslide in Bellingham, Washington on Sunday, blocking the Interstate-5 highway with approximately 1 529 m³ (54 000 feet3) of mud.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), 44.5 mm (1.75 inches) of rain fell at Bellingham Airport within two hours on Sunday morning. By 07:30 local time (LT), 52.8 mm (2.08 inches) of rainfall had been recorded, making it the second-wettest day on record after October 16, 2003, when 62.5 mm (2.46 inches) was recorded.
Interstate-5 was closed at around 05:45 LT on Sunday, backing up approximately 4.8 km (3 miles) of northbound traffic. A specialty tow truck was called to remove an 18-wheeler trapped in the mud and vegetation covering the highway.
The highway reopened around 14:55 LT after crews from the Washington Department of Transportation cleared all debris from the road.
According to Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist at the NWS, rainfall varied significantly due to unstable air and swirling convection patterns, resulting in localized bands of heavy rainfall.
Most of the Seattle metropolitan area received 12.7 – 25.4 mm (0.5 – 1 inch) of rain on Sunday, while many areas on the west slopes of the Cascades received 38.1 mm (1.5 inches) or more. The city of Lynden reported 73.7 mm (2.9 inches) of rainfall in 24 hours on Sunday, near the flood-prone Nooksack River.
1 Mudslide shuts down I-5 North in Bellingham following extreme rain – KUOW – October 27, 2024
2 Major interstate north of Seattle reopens after landslide – FoxWeather – October 27, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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