Washington Governor Christine Gregoire (pictured left) has signed a plan into law that would provide southwestern Washington areas up to $50 million to match expected federal grants for protecting flood-prone areas. The money is intended to help fund construction on a to-be-determined final plan from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers aimed at protecting Interstate 5 and the nearby municipalities from floods in Lewis County. The Governor also signed a separate measure that will help prevent flooding by authorizing the sale of state bonds to pay for flood projects in the Chehalis River basin. In December, I-5 was closed for several days during floods that encompassed Lewis and Thurston counties.