Video: Rain causes ugly Friday commute

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SEATTLE - Heavy rain throughout the Northwest continues causing slick roads and plenty of problems for morning commuters.

The southbound lanes of Interstate 5 were closed nearly four hours after a semi-truck crashed into roadside barriers near the convention center at about 3 a.m. and spilled some fuel. That accident ended up causing an oil sheen on Lake Union.

State Patrol Trooper Cliff Pratt says about 50 to 60 gallons of diesel spilled, making the pavement slippery and causing other accidents. Crews shut all lanes of southbound I-5 after the James Street Exit for several hours. Two left lanes re-opened around 6:30 a.m., and cleanup was expected to last through the morning.

Some fuel and oil from the crash made it into the stormwater system that flows into Lake Union. Washington Department of Ecology crews and workers with Seattle Public Utilities were trying to clean up the oil sheen.

"The diesel from the truck came out of this outfall, what we did initially was put this hard containment boom out to hold what we could," said Eric Autry, of Seattle Public Utilities. "Also we've got some absorbent material that we're putting along the shoreline. We're trying to trap the oil in one spot or in several spots where it's kind of naturally pushing back. Trying to contain it in spots so we can clean it up."

"Something like this can go on for a couple days, where we're getting oil burping out," Autry said. "I'd say this initial response where we're cleaning up the shoreline, that will probably go on for the next 24 hours."

KING

Environmental clean-up crews Friday were working to clear oil and fuel that leaked into Lake Union after a semi-truck crash.

Emergency crews had to cut the driver out of one of the trucks because the cab was too twisted for him to get out on his own. He suffered minor injuries.

Urban flooding and accidents have also closed three streets in Kent: James and Central Avenue, 76th Ave. S between S 212th and S 228th, and 72nd Ave. S between S 212th and S 218th.