Event narrative (NOAA)
The Chehalis river at Centralia reached a record flood stage of 74.78 feet. An 81-year old man disappeared along a stream near Winlock. More than 450 homes were damaged outside of the cities of Chehalis and Centralia. About 65 homes were destroyed, while just over 200 had major damage. Over 1800 farm animals died. A 20 mile stretch of Interstate-5 was closed for 3 days as parts of the interstate were under as much as 10 feet of water as well as the major north-south rail line. In Centralia about 350 homes were damaged or destroyed. About 1100 people used shelters. Many schools were closed for a week. Some communities had no fresh water. More than 20 square blocks near downtown Centralia were under water.
Other notable flood events in Washington
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.