All northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near the Iowa Street interchange in Bellingham have been completely closed since about 6 a.m. Sunday because of what Washington State Patrol officials called a “landslide” in the area.

The southbound lanes in the area were also partially closed, WSP said on social media. There is no estimate as to how long it will take for the highway to reopen.

“Because the incident was a landslide, WDOT will send a geotechnical team to evaluate the slope before reopening the road,” state Department of Transportation spokesman RB McKeon told Cascadia Daily News Sunday morning.

Crews on scene rerouted traffic on Lakeway Drive and around Iowa Street before rejoining I-5 at Sunset Drive. Travelers are strongly advised to avoid the area if possible.

“Remind people that during heavy rains like this, please don’t drive through standing water,” McKeon said, referencing standard FEMA advice: “Turn over, don’t drown.”

Medical assistance, a Department of Transportation crash response team, State Patrol and Bellingham police were on scene as of 6:16 a.m., WSP reported.

A WSDOT traffic camera image at daybreak showed equipment removing dirt debris near a tractor-trailer at the accident scene near a large concrete retaining wall. A concrete median moved to the southbound lanes reduced traffic in that direction to a single lane. The semi-trailer has been stuck in the rubble since 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

In a post on the social media platform According to NWS, today is BLI's second wettest October day on record, the first falling on October 16, 2003 with a rainfall total of 2.46 inches.

A Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect for Eastern Whatcom County at 5:00 p.m. today with a snow total of 5-10 inches.

These include the Mt. Baker ski area and the western slopes of the North Cascades, as well as passes above 4,000 feet.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.