Flooding remains threat in Pacific north-west as Washington declares emergency

"Dangerous flood waters from historically swollen rivers in the Pacific north-west were continuing to cause a huge threat on Friday as 100,000 people in the area were under evacuation warnings and more deluges are due on Sunday. Torrential rain triggered flooding on Thursday across much of the region from Oregon north through Washington state and into British Columbia, closing dozens of roads and already prompting the evacuations of tens of thousands of people."

"The governor of Washington, Bob Ferguson, declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday in response to the heavy weather that has caused mudslides and washed out roads and submerged vehicles. Western Washington state bore the brunt of the storm, with flood watches posted across the Cascade and Olympic mountains and Puget Sound, as well as for a northern slice of Oregon, a region home to some 5.8 million people, according to the US National Weather Service."

"Roughly 100,000 residents in western Washington on Friday were under level 3 evacuation orders urging them to immediately move to higher ground, the bulk of them in rural Skagit county north of Seattle, said Karina Shagren, a spokesperson for the state emergency management division. About 3,800 evacuees were believed to be in need of temporary shelter, Skagit county emergency chief Julie de Losada said. First responders have rescued several people, including by helicopter in King and Whatcom counties in recent days."

Historically swollen rivers across the Pacific Northwest caused dangerous flooding and prompted evacuation warnings for about 100,000 people as more heavy rain is forecast. Torrential rain swept from Oregon through Washington into British Columbia, closing dozens of roads, triggering mudslides, and submerging vehicles. Meteorologists identified the event as an atmospheric river funneling dense Pacific moisture inland. Washington governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency as Western Washington took the brunt of the storm. Skagit County issued many level 3 evacuation orders, with roughly 3,800 people needing temporary shelter while first responders conducted multiple rescues, including helicopter operations.

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