Major highway reopens in Washington

SEATTLE, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Interstate 5, the highway running down the U.S. West Coast, reopened Friday more than 24 hours after a section in Washington was closed because of flooding.

Swollen rivers flowing from the Cascade Range to the Pacific began receding, The Seattle Times reported. The flooding followed heavy rains Wednesday and Thursday.

Thousands of people were evacuated, and others were left stranded in houses surrounded by water. At one point, the three major passes across the Cascades were all closed.

KGW-TV in Portland, Ore., reported that supermarkets in the area were running out of fresh produce and some Starbucks coffee shops were out of fresh sandwiches. Much of the region's perishables arrive by truck from Seattle.

A few rivers were still rising Friday.

In Stanwood, about 40 miles north of Seattle, forecasters predicted a record crest Friday for the swollen Stillaguamish River, the Everett Herald reported. Some houses were surrounded by 4 feet to 5 feet of water, and firefighters were using boats and hovercraft to remove trapped residents.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, the state's two U.S. senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters inspected flooded areas in Orting and Chehalis.

Residents of many low-lying areas were wondering how soon they could return home.

"I spent last night in a motel but I don't have the money to keep that up," said Teresa Steffens of Chehalis, Wash. "I hope it goes down soon."