A fresh wave of heavy rain has swept across a region of western Washington state, reeling from a storm that prompted rescue efforts and road closures the day before. Residents packed their valuables and prepared to flee as water levels in rivers rose considerably on Wednesday.
Rivers swell
An atmospheric river has risen to record levels in the Pacific Northwest, with major flooding expected in some areas, including the Skagit River in a major agricultural valley north of Seattle, according to the Associated Press.
Dozens of vehicles were backed up to a sandbag service station in the town of Mount Vernon as authorities warned all residents who live in the river’s floodplain to be prepared to evacuate.
“We’re preparing for what is increasingly looking like the worst-case scenario here,” Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan said.
In the foothills of Mount Rainier, southeast of Seattle, Pierce County sheriff’s deputies rescued people at an RV park in Orting, including one man wearing a Santa hat wading through waist-deep water.
A portion of the city was ordered evacuated due to concerns about extremely high levels of the Puyallup River and its upstream levees.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. “Lives will be at stake in the coming days,” he said.
“It’s time to pay attention,” said Gent Welsh, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard. “Hundreds of Washington National Guard members will be deployed to assist communities,” Welsh said.
Meanwhile, the Skagit River is expected to crest at about 47 feet (14.3 meters) in the mountain town of Concrete early Thursday morning and about 41 feet (12 meters) in Mount Vernon early Friday morning.
Those are both “record forecasts by several feet,” Skagit County officials said.
Mount Vernon, the largest city in the county with a population of about 35,000, completed a wall in 2018 to help protect the downtown area from flooding. But the city – parts of it are in a flood zone, including commercial areas – is on high alert.
“With the magnitude of flooding that is predicted here in the next few days, I’m concerned about all of our buildings in the city in the flood zone,” said Donovan, the mayor.
Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Seattle, described the atmospheric river soaking the region as a “jet stream of moisture” stretching across the Pacific Ocean “with the jet pushing right along the coasts of Oregon and Washington.”
Residents warned of impending floods
Authorities in Washington knocked on doors to warn residents of impending flooding in certain neighborhoods and evacuated a mobile home park along the Snohomish River.
The city of Snohomish issued an emergency declaration while workers in Auburn, south of Seattle, installed temporary flood barriers along the White River.
Along Interstate 5 between Seattle and Portland, firefighters on Tuesday rescued people who tried to drive through flooded roads, including the driver of a semi-truck, said Malachi Simper, Lewis County Fire Protection District 5 spokesman.
He said authorities rescued a family of six from their home in Chehalis, where about 4 feet of water covered the road. No one was injured.
Another storm system should bring more rain starting Sunday, Rademacher said. “The pattern looks pretty restless before the holidays.
