Storm drops half inch of rain on Spokane

An early evening storm dropped more than half an inch of rain on Spokane. Ron Miller with the National Weather Service said .63 inches fell between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The downpour came on the heels of lighter storms earlier today. Since midnight, just over an inch of rain has fallen. Firefighters, police and city crews were working on flooding across north Spokane, including at the intersection of Wellesley and Lincoln, where traffic was diverted to prevent water from being pushed into people’s homes. Heavy runoff could send small streams over their banks and cause other problems such as mudslides and rural flooding. The Weather Service said flooding or landslides have been reported in the Rice area of Stevens County as well as Kettle Falls and Colville. A hillside sloughed into a creek along Pleasant Valley Road in the Rice area. Minor lowland flooding was reported near Republic in Ferry County. The flooding threat was expected to continue through about 7:15 p.m. Cooler weather starting on Friday should cause a drop in snow levels, but periods of rain or snow are expected.