Flooded Exits Near I-5 Show Why “Road Closed” Signs Matter

Lewis County drivers got a messy reminder this morning that standing water does not play favorites and will not hesitate to swallow a car whole.

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The Washington State Patrol shared a poetic but pointed message on social media this morning. The message says, “you drive a car, not a boat”, after multiple drivers ignored closure signs at the Rush Road exits (Exit 72 on I-5) and found themselves stuck in deep floodwater.

A Morning of Flooded Cars and Avoidable Trouble on I-5

Troopers from District 5 posted several photos, and honestly, they tell the whole story. In one of the daylight shots, you can see four different cars sitting half-submerged, some with their taillights eerily glowing under gray floodwater. One vehicle’s entire front end is underwater, easily three to four feet deep. The water line nearly reaches the top of the grille, the hood sloping straight into what became an accidental pond.

Earlier pictures taken from the morning in the dark show the first wave of drivers who misjudged the conditions. One car sits in tire-deep water, disabled. Another is stuck in water halfway up the wheels. In both cases, the drivers clearly tried to push through, only to stall out long before reaching dry pavement.

I-5 is Open, But Stay Out of Flood Waters

For now, Interstate 5 is still fully open and not experiencing any flooding, which is the good news. But nearby the highway, both the northbound and southbound Rush Road exits remain shut down because the flooding is simply too deep to risk anyone else venturing in.

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The Washington State Patrol warns that “Road Closed” signs are not decorations and are there to protect you. When water is covering the roadway, there’s no telling how deep it is, what is beneath it, or how fast it could carry you or your car down stream.

Every year, people lose their lives trying to cross flooded sections just like this, so DO NOT be one of the sad statistics and stay out.