Mudslides cut off traffic to North Cascades Highway

MARBLEMOUNT, Wash. — Highway 20, commonly known as the North Cascades Highway, remains closed after a severe rainstorm swept through the mountains.

The storm swept through the Cascades, causing eight different mudslides to cover the road over the weekend.

About 65 people were trapped at Cascade Pass Trailhead at Marblemount Sunday, but no one was hurt.

A helicopter flew in food and water while crews scrambled to build a temporary road that allowed the hikers to make their way home.

The Washington Department of Transportation caught one particular slide at  milepost 154 on camera, seen in the video above.

That slide was the smallest of the eight.   Depths of mud and debris covering the road range between four and 25 feet. 

Crews there said one minute a lane was open, and within minutes, the road was impassible.

VIEW PHOTOS OF THE MUDSLIDES HERE

No reopening date has been estimated, causing a big hit for businesses on both sides of the closure in Marblemount and Winthrop.

The motels and restaurants rely on seasonal traffic in the summer, because the highway is closed during the winter.

Each day the highway is closed means thousands of dollars in lost revenue.

Many people from the Seattle area use Highway 20 to get to vacation spots in Eastern Washington.

The closure is between milepost 147 -- the winter gate closure -- to milepost 157 -- Rainy pass and the Chelan County line.

KIRO