Quinault South Shore Road. NPS photo.

Floodwaters stemming from this week’s heavy rains have receded, allowing park staff to begin damage assessments. Several park roads, including the road to the Hoh Rain Forest, have not yet been fully assessed.  “So far, conditions have prevented us from reaching all areas, but we are working as quickly as possible to reach all park roads and see what the damage is,” said superintendent Bill Laitner. A summary of known damage follows:

• Hoh Road – The road is closed at its intersection with Highway 101 while Jefferson County and Olympic National Park continue to make damage assessments.  Park staff, along with a road engineer from the National Park Service’s regional office, visited areas of the Hoh Road yesterday and observed major damage at Twin Creek, where a 65-foot-long and 40-foot-deep section of road has been washed out. Further assessments along the Hoh Road were not possible. A five-mile-long section of the road within the park has not yet been inspected and the extent of damage is unknown at this time. 
• Quinault North Shore Road – The east abutments of the Finley Creek bridge were compromised by floodwaters. The bridge is closed to all traffic and the road remains closed east of the bridge. 
• Quinault South Shore Road – The road has been damaged and is blocked by large amounts of debris a half mile inside the park’s boundary. Crews hoped to clear the road and complete damage assessments yesterday.
• Hurricane Ridge Road – The road remained closed yesterday due to snow and icy conditions.
• Mora Road – The road remained closed yesterday due to flooding and downed trees.
• Dosewallips, Staircase and Queets Roads – All three roads remain closed due to previous damage and unsafe conditions. The Deer Park Road is closed for the season.
• Elwha, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc and Kalaloch Areas – These areas are open.

Contact Information
Name: Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer