An atmospheric river pounding the Pacific Northwest has intensified over western Washington, raising the prospect of “historic” and potentially “catastrophic” flooding that could force up to 100,000 people to evacuate.
After two days of heavy rain, forecasters warned another 4 to 8 inches could fall Wednesday and Thursday in higher elevations of western Washington. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Wednesday and urged residents to heed evacuation orders, calling the situation “extremely serious.” He said rivers could hit historic levels as early as 4 a.m. Thursday and remain elevated into Friday morning.
Skagit County ordered residents in Mount Vernon and upriver communities — Hamilton, Rockport, Marblemount and Concrete — to move to high ground immediately. County officials said everyone living in the 100-year floodplain would likely receive evacuation notices and announced that nonessential government services, including district and superior courts, would be closed Thursday because of flooding and hazardous conditions.
The National Water Prediction Service forecasts 18 major floods and 15 moderate floods across Washington. Ferguson posted that “catastrophic flooding is likely.” County officials earlier described the predictions as “historic.”
Eastside Fire and Rescue, serving part of King County, assisted with water rescues after flooding and a landslide impacted residents. They reported rescuing three adults with limited mobility and a dog from a flooded home on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River; a landslide on eastbound I-90 also blocked lanes.
Most rivers in the region are expected to reach moderate to major flood stages. Record flooding is possible for several rivers, notably the Skagit River at Mount Vernon and Concrete, which could rise 3 to 5 feet above previous record levels beginning Thursday afternoon and continuing through Friday. Sen. Maria Cantwell said she was “alarmed” after speaking with the National Weather Service about the Skagit River’s potential to crest as much as 5 feet above its record, and she urged people to follow evacuation orders.
The Snoqualmie River between Snoqualmie and Carnation is forecast to continue rising through Thursday morning, reaching major flood stage and flooding farmlands, roads and residential areas from Snoqualmie to Fall City to Carnation. US-12 is already underwater in several spots, and the town of Randle has been cut off.
Amtrak suspended trains between Seattle and Vancouver for Thursday and Friday because of Skagit River levels. While heavy rain is expected to ease by Thursday afternoon, many rivers will take several days to recede. Northern Idaho and Montana may also see heavy rain and localized flash flooding over the next 24 hours.