State of emergency: Evacuations as historic flooding hammers Pacific Northwest
Multiple atmospheric rivers have brought more than a foot of rain to Washington and Oregon this week, causing historic flooding.
The heaviest rainfall in the Pacific Northwest is already done, but rivers won’t crest until Thursday or Friday, causing a dangerous situation throughout the region.
A series of atmospheric rivers has caused days of heavy rain in the Pacific Northwest, with some locations getting as much as a foot of rain — and AccuWeather meteorologists say it isn't over yet.
"Days of relentless rain have sent rivers rising to record levels," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Renee Duff said.
"The back-to-back atmospheric rivers unleashed more water than some rivers, streams, and drainage systems can handle. More evacuations could be ordered as massive amounts of water move downstream and the river’s crest," she added.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency Wednesday, saying hundreds of National Guard members will be sent to help communities.
More than 16 inches of rain has fallen
More than a foot of rain has fallen over a wide area of the western parts of Washington and Oregon. Quinault, Washington reported 16.58 inches of rain this week, with 14.44 inches 12 miles northwest of Mount Olympus.
Evacuations have been ordered in several towns
Residents of Orting, Washington, are under a mandatory evacuation order as of early Wednesday afternoon, KOMO reports. In Pierce County, sheriff's deputies performed water rescues in an RV park there.
In Seattle, multiple water rescues were performed on Wednesday after cars hydroplaned or became stuck in floodwaters. A landslide blocked part of I-90 east of town, with Eastside Fire & Rescue saying on X that all occupants were able to exit their vehicles unharmed.
In the Canadian border town of Sumas, Washington, evacuations were ordered, and Washington DOT cameras showed the town underwater Thursday morning.
Roads are closed around Sumas, Washington and seen underwater on Thursday afternoon. (WSDOT)
River gauges paint picture of historic floods
Several river gauges in the area have set, or are forecast to set, new record highs, according to data from the National Weather Service (NWS).
This map shows NWS river gauges currently in action, minor, moderate or major flood stage as of Thursday morning, or forecast to be in those stages for the rest of the week.
The Puyallup River near Orting, Washington, where residents were evacuated Wednesday afternoon, tied its record high early Wednesday morning.
The gauge on the Grays River near Rosburg, Washington, set a new record Monday night of 33.36 feet. The previous record was 33.15 feet on Dec. 3, 2007.
Other gauges forecast to break records include the Skagit River near Mount Vernon (by 4.14 feet), the Snohomish River at Monroe, Washington (by 4.62 feet).
Although the Skagit River near Concrete, Washington, was forecast to break its all-time height by 5.06 feet in Wednesday's National Weather Service forecast, that prediction had been lowered to just below the record by Thursday morning. At Mount Vernon, the forecast crest had fallen from 41.54 feet, 4.14 feet above record levels, on Wednesday afternoon to 39.29 feet, 1.89 feet above the record.
Farther south, the Snohomish River at Snohomish broke its record of 33.5 feet Thursday morning, at 33.57 feet and still rising. The previous record was set in 1990, and the gauge has records going back to 1949. A nearby gauge at Monroe, Washington, was forecast to crest Thursday evening near the record, as is Snoqualmie Falls, famous for being featured in the theme song of the television show "Twin Peaks."
Mount Vernon's new floodwall will be tested
Darrin Morrison, a commissioner in Skagit County, warned during a public meeting Wednesday night, "We feel very confident that we can handle a 'normal flood,' [28-32 feet] but no one really knows what a 41, 42 foot river looks like south of Mount Vernon."
A NWS flood gauge prediction for the Skagit River at Mt. Vernon, Washington on Thursday afternoon.
Flooding in Mount Vernon is not uncommon in the city, where a floodwall protection system was installed in 2018 and tested in 2021 during record river levels. Unfortunately, these levels could be high enough to top that wall, The Associated Press reported.
The flooding and danger are not over
Dangerous flooding is expected to continue through the weekend, with additional rainfall forecasted for next week.
"More mudslides are possible in areas near steep terrain. Avalanches are a concern in the mountains as temperatures fluctuate over the next few days. This is an incredibly dangerous situation," explained Duff.
Unfortunately, there is little relief in sight for the Pacific Northwest. The stream of moisture is forecast to briefly shift north before sliding back south, bringing more heavy rain and mountain snow to Washington early next week, according to Duff.
