Mysterious stench looms across WA — and people want answers about the disgusting odor
A mysterious stinky odor is looming in parts of southwest Washington and northern Oregon, and residents want answers.
The powerful and strange smell was reported Sept. 24 from southern Kelso to Vancouver along Interstate 5, the Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management and Cowlitz County Fire District 5 said in Facebook posts.
As winds blew, the smell was even reported in Portland, Oregon, officials said in a Sept. 25 post.
People said the odor smells like natural gas, propane, burning garbage, burning rubber and ammonia, among other descriptions, officials said.
Officials are working with experts to find out the culprit but said they do not have answers at the moment.
Meanwhile, residents are reporting headaches and eye and throat irritation, potentially caused by the smell, officials said.
“The smell is so strong it woke us up from sleep around midnight feeling nauseous,” one person commented.
“I thought it smelled like garbage juice and onions originally. It’s unusually widespread as you mentioned. Would love some updates also,” another person wrote.
What has been checked?
Monitors were set up in Kalama, a city in between Kelso and Vancouver, and there were no signs of gas, the Cowlitz County Fire District 5 said in a Sept. 24 Facebook post.
Pipeline companies reported “no alarms, pressure loss or operational deficiencies.”
Officials said there were no industrial facility issues or rail traffic issues, either. And there wasn’t any reported ship traffic on the Columbia River when the smell appeared, officials said.
The Washington State Department of Ecology was also contacted, and officials said it had no “reports of releases or of the unknown smell event.”
Some wondered if the smell was coming from Mount Saint Helens or from ground movement. However, the Cascades Volcano Observatory told officials there hasn’t been any abnormal activity.
The smell does appear to be disappearing from the Kalama area, officials said.
If anyone is concerned, they are advised to stay inside and keep doors and windows shut. If someone experiences an adverse reaction, they should contact 911, officials said.
“For those that have concerns about the odor, we can neither confirm or deny at this time if it is harmful,” emergency management officials said in their post.
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 11:57 AM.
