Fierce winds and high waters rip through Pacific Northwest

Residents of Oregon and Washington, slammed by a huge Pacific storm packing hurricane-force winds, struggled Tuesday to escape flooded communities, dig out of mudslides and navigate road closures.

Severe flooding shut down a 20-mile stretch of Interstate 5 near Chehalis, Wash., cutting off a main route between Portland and Seattle. The highway -- covered by 8 feet of water after a dike broke -- will be closed at least through Thursday, forcing lengthy detours.

Thousands of trees were downed, as were power lines and communication links.

Southwest Washington was hit especially hard. By late Tuesday, 1,500 evacuees had squeezed into three emergency shelters in Grays Harbor County.

“We haven’t even begun damage assessment yet,” said Ken Walkington, a sheriff’s operations deputy.

A state of emergency was declared in both Washington and Oregon and officials foresaw a massive and costly cleanup.

“Yesterday was about ‘how do we contain problems,’ ” Washington Gov. Christine O. Gregoire said Tuesday at a news conference. “Today, it’s the human stories that we are beginning to see.”

At least five deaths were linked to the storms, which began battering the Northwest on Sunday. Gusts reached 100 mph along some parts of the coast; as much as 10 inches of rain fell in some areas.

Two men died in Grays Harbor County, one when a tree fell on him in Aberdeen, and one who had medical problems related to a power outage in Montesano.

A third person died in Mason County when he was buried by a mudslide in a house in a remote area about 20 miles north of Shelton. According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, the bodies of two hikers were found Tuesday; they had been killed by an avalanche triggered by rain in the Cascade Mountains.

“This is at least a 50-year storm,” said Dean Byrd, chief deputy of the Mason County Sheriff’s Office. “We got a 1-2-3 punch: snow on the weekend, then high winds and rain.”

Returning from a helicopter tour of flooded Vernonia, Ore., where 300 residents had to be rescued after torrential rains, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski cautioned that it would take time for a complete recovery.

“You can see it in the faces of the people that this is the Christmas season,” Kulongoski said. “They are supposed to be celebrating and looking forward to a very joyous time. They now know it’s going to be a period of time to recover and try to get their lives back together.”

Oregon counties hit hardest by rains included Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Yamhill. Roads to Vernonia were blocked by downed trees. Shelters were set up at the Tillamook Fairgrounds and the Oregon National Guard’s Camp Rilea.

In Washington, more than 150 people were rescued by helicopter in Mason and Lewis counties.

State transportation officials set up a lengthy detour around the closed section of Interstate 5. Officials advised motorists to avoid travel between Seattle and Portland until the water recedes.

Across the region, winds have died down and the rains have eased. The forecast is for lighter showers and drier, sunnier weather for the end of the week.

stuart.glascock@latimes.com