Strong winds, high seas spur flood warning along Washington coast

HOQUIAM, Wash. -- High winds and seas on Thursday created a mess along the coast where high tides pushed water into some neighborhoods in Grays Harbor County.

The Hoquiam River’s high tides pushed water onto city streets and closed a handful of roads on Thursday.

“I’ve been out here 30 years and this is the highest that I’ve seen it,” said Ed Logue.

Logue spent the afternoon checking to see how his rental properties fared during the storm. He’s thankful none was flooded, but he’s keeping an eye on the river.

“It filled in the low spots, filled up the ditches and then spread across the roads,” he said.

Home after home were surrounded by water along Broadway Avenue. The river was full and when high tides rolled in, the water had nowhere else to go.

In Westport, wind gusts of 50 mph pushed rain sideways. The high winds pushed tides higher than normal, sending waves crashing over the rock wall. Ocean water rushed onto the city streets but quickly drained into the marina.

A coastal flood warning remains in effect until 1 a.m. Friday, according to county officials.

Neighbors in Grays Harbor County will likely be dealing with the nasty weather again when another storm rolls through on Saturday.