A mudslide blocked Orville Road near Ohop Lake Wednesday. The slide, one of hundreds of incidents throughout Pierce County in which water or debris washed across roads as a result of heavy rain Tuesday, was expected to be cleared by the end of Wednesday and allow driving conditions on Orville to return to normal, officials said. Paul Marsh, a road operations supervisor for Pierce County, said one lane of the road near the Ohop Lake boat launch was covered by mud and rocks and the other lane was partially covered by the slide, which also took down a maple tree. He said heavy equipment was used to clear the debris, and road crews were monitoring the stability of the hillside. Countywide, water was reported across roadways in 130 locations Wednesday. Numerous slides also were reported, Marsh said. No injuries or damage to vehicles or buildings were reported. Weather forecasts indicate a break in heavy rainfall for at least a couple days, which should reduce the potential for mudslides. The area along Orville Road where this week's slide occurred is traditionally prone to mudslides when heavy rain hits. Marsh said there were 20 slides in 1996.
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