Flooding Again Closes Park Roads

Heavy rain on November 12th and 13th caused rivers to swell and resulted in damage to roads inside and outside the park. Kautz Creek diverted course and flowed over the Nisqually Road, resulting in closure of the park's primary entrance. Overnight guests at National Park Inn were escorted from the park via an administrative access route on November 12th as soon as river conditions allowed. Crews are at work this week redirecting the water into the stream bed and away from the park road. The work should be completed in time to reopen for the weekend. Although damage was not nearly as extensive as in the major flood two years ago, other access routes to Mount Rainier were also impacted. State Routes 123 and 410 were closed by debris and landslides, and a 200-foot section of the Carbon River Road washed away outside the park entrance. Steve Klump was the incident commander for the flood response. Media interest was regional and moderate. For further information, contact information officer Lee Taylor at 360-569-2211 ext. 3303.