FERNDALE, Wash. — Washington State Patrol reported a landslide is responsible for closing both lanes of northbound I-5 6 miles south of Bellingham, just north of the Nulle Road interchange about 8:45am this morning, Saturday, February 1st. Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies and aid were dispatched this morning to more than one report of a landslide onto a road in the foothills of eastern Whatcom County.
Here in the Ferndale area, there is some surface water and river water flooding impacts but nothing as severe.
Puget Sound Energy said that as of 9:30am this morning, there were approximately 15,800 customers without power. PSE servicemen and crews had worked through the night to restore power to more than 34,200 customers who lost power during a wind storm that hit Puget Sound late yesterday and into this morning.
There were no significant power outages reported in the Ferndale area during this time.
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Click for more informationPrimary east-west arterials Slater Road and Marine Drive were closed overnight forcing detour traffic onto Imhof Road and Douglas Road to Main Street. But Imhof Road has its own section of road covered by inches deep flowing stream water. Nearby Ulrich Road, between Imhof Road and S Church road is covered with swift flowing stream water and S Church Road and Lampman Road have been closed due to water over much of the roadway south of Ulrich Road.
Whatcom County Public Works announced earlier this morning that they were in the process of changing the detour route to direct Slater Road detour traffic off Imhof Road and onto Lake Terrell Road connecting to/from I-5 via Mountain View Road and Main Street. The change was enacted about 11am and Imhof Road between Douglas Road and Ulrich Road was subsequently closed.
Revised Slater Road detour route via Lake Terrell Road instead of Imhof Road
Areas of lowland flooding are the biggest concern around the Ferndale area today according to City of Ferndale Public Works Supervisor Bo Westford. Tonight and tomorrow have him more concerned, he said, since the river is expected to continue rising until cresting at about the 20-foot mark about 10am tomorrow, Sunday. At that height, there is concern of flood waters reaching low-lying residential areas around VanderYacht Park.
Scenes from around the Ferndale area this morning (Photos: My Ferndale News):
Urban flooding on Gardiner Drive 
Looking south from Ulrich Road on S Church Road 
Looking west on Ulrich Road from Imhof Road 
Looking south on Ferndale Road from Slater Road 
City Public Works Supervisor Bo Westford patches damage section of road on LaBounty Drive 
East end barricade on Slater Road near RR tracks 
Closure and detour signage on Slater Road at LaBounty Drive 
Looking east on W Smith Road from Hovander Road 
Hovander Road at corner to W Smith Road 
Tennant Lake Interpretive Center and Fragrance Garden entrance 
VanderYacht Park viewed from Washington Street 
VanderYacht Park parking lot entrance on Washington Street