Gregoire declares a state of emergency

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency Monday authorizing state agencies to assist local governments in their response to massive wind and flooding in Western Washington that left at least two dead and caused part of Interstate 5 to be closed.

A Grays Harbor County sheriff's officer says one man died when a tree fell on him as he tried to clear a downed tree; the other person died from an undetermined medical problem after power was lost. About 90 percent of that Southwest Washington county was without electricity, and virtually all roads leading into the coastal city of Aberdeen were cut off.

Gregoire, who said 80,000 people in the region had lost power, cautioned the public against unnecessary travel and driving through standing water on roads, noting that the full extent of the storm damage remained unknown.

All lanes of Interstate 5 near Centralia, the main route between Seattle and Portland, were closed because of flooding. Claudia Cornish, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said the closure could last until Wednesday. It was the first complete freeway closure because of flooding in the area in 11 years, she said.

Mudslides halted north-south Amtrak passenger train service between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C.

Local emergency responders can request assistance from the National Guard under the emergency proclamation. National Guard rescue equipment -- including high-water vehicles -- was made available to local jurisdictions. Guardsmen could be called up and made available for deployment as early as Tuesday if required.

Most of the Olympic Peninsula, Kitsap County and Southwest Washington were hit particularly hard by the overnight storm.

Helicopter rescues were being launched for stranded hikers in King County and flood-trapped homeowners in Mason and Thurston counties, state Emergency Management officials said.

Coast Guard helicopters went to an area 20 miles west of Chehalis to rescue more than 80 people trapped there. The Guard sent a Dolphin helicopter dispatched from Air Station Port Angeles and a larger Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Astoria.

Petty Officer Tara Molle estimated the Dolphin could transport five people at a time and the Jayhawk could carry up to 10.

Another helicopter was sent to the area around the Tahuya River near Hood Canal in Mason County to rescue about 10 people who became trapped after a dike on the river broke, Molle said.

But communications for the Coast Guard were hampered by the storms. At one point, the 13th Coast Guard District Command Center in Seattle lost communications with the Coast Guard station in Astoria after powerful winds slammed into the coast.

Lewis County urged residents in flooded areas to evacuate. Shelters were opened in Chehalis, Boistfort, Winlock, Vader and Centralia.

The National Weather Service said 3 to 6 inches of rain had fallen in Western Washington, and warned that record flooding could occur in Southwest Washington's Chehalis River basin. High tides near Aberdeen were expected to compound the problem at the river's lower reaches.

The Elwha River on the northern Olympic Peninsula also was expected to flood at record levels. Major flooding was predicted on the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers near Carnation, east of Seattle.

Storm conditions damaged a container ship sailing off the Washington coast Monday and weather caused several weekend fuel spills, according to the state Department of Ecology.

The 720-foot container ship, operated by Matson Lines, was sailing near Cape Flattery when it was smashed by an ocean swell. The waves shattered wheelhouse windows, damaged electronic systems and knocked out the ship's primary steering system.

A rescue tugboat met the ship at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and another tug was escorting it to Seattle Monday afternoon for repairs.

STORM SHELTERS

The American Red Cross is providing shelter, food and other necessities for those affected by the flooding throughout Western Washington. Red Cross shelters can be found at the following locations:

King County: Spartan Gym at 18560 First Ave. N.E., Shoreline.

Snohomish County: World Harvester Family Church, 20830 52nd Ave. W., Lynnwood.

Kitsap County: United Methodist Church, 9982 Silverdale Way N.W., Silverdale.

North Mason County: Theler Community Center, 22871 N.E. state Route 3, Belfair.