Floods Close Stretch of I-5 in Northwest

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this online item incorrectly stated that Chehalis was in Oregon, and not Washington state.

Severe floods in the Pacific Northwest have closed a stretch of Interstate 5 until at least Thursday, news reports said.

I-5, the region's largest interstate, was covered with as much as 10 feet of water, the Associated Press reported.

The latest floods were triggered by the third of three large storms that hit the region with rain, prompting flood levels not seen since 1996, and sending rivers surging from their banks, AP reported.

Floodwaters closed a 20-mile stretch of I-5 near Chehalis, Wash., until at least Thursday, the Oregonian newspaper reported.

About a half-dozen bridges and many secondary roads were closed throughout the area near Portland, Ore., the paper said.

Horizon Air said it will fly bigger planes between Seattle and Portland because of the closed roads, the Puget Sound (Wash.) Business Journal reported.