Washington state flood waters receding after days of rescues and evacuations | Washington state
Record-breaking floodwaters in Washington state have begun to slowly recede after days of devastation that left neighborhoods submerged, emergency rescues from cars and rooftops, and widespread evacuations.
“This is not just a one- or two-day crisis,” Washington governor Bob Ferguson said at a news conference. “These water levels are historic and will remain very high for a long time.”
Ferguson confirmed that Donald Trump approved Washington’s request for the president to declare an emergency.
The flooding followed an exceptionally powerful atmospheric river that dumped more than 12 inches of rain on parts of western Washington, swelling rivers and saturating the soil. No deaths have been reported, according to Ferguson.
Although authorities have not yet calculated the damage, images and videos reveal that entire neighborhoods in western and central Washington are under water. Dozens of water rescues were carried out as landslides and debris blocked highways and strong currents destroyed roads and bridges.
Authorities on Wednesday issued an immediate “go now” evacuation order for tens of thousands of residents living in the Skagit River floodplain north of Seattle, including Burlington, a farming community of about 10,000 people. Muddy water spilled over puddles and into homes Friday morning, prompting renewed evacuation warnings.
National Guard troops went door-to-door in Burlington early Friday, warning residents to leave and providing transportation to local shelters. The evacuation order for part of the city was lifted as water levels began to drop in the late morning. But officials warned that the river remained high and flash flooding was still possible as pressure continued on the levees.
The Skagit River flows through Washington’s rugged Cascade Mountain Range and through vast fields of farmland and tulip fields before reaching Puget Sound. Communities like Burlington built in the delta are particularly exposed to rising waters.
At Mount Vernon, the largest city in the valley, the river crested 37 ft (11 meters) overnight, breaking the previous record by several centimeters. Approximately 1,000 Burlington residents were evacuated. The flood wall, completed in 2018, successfully protected the center of the city.
Even though the heaviest rains are over, their effects still continue. More rain is expected to start on Sunday.
Meanwhile, flooding from Washington’s Nooksack River has worsened flooding in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. more evacuationFarmland was flooded and schools were closed.
Late Thursday, Highway 1, a key link between the Vancouver metropolitan area and the rest of Canada, turned into a vast expanse of water as flooding consumed the Trans-Canada Highway. Floods left many homeless residents particularly vulnerable.
While such storms are not uncommon on the US Pacific coast, experts have warned that they could become more frequent and intense over the next century if global warming from the human-caused climate crisis continues at current rates.
Associated Press contributed reporting
