Washington State Faces Catastrophic Floods

Days of torrential rain in Washington state have caused historic floods that have stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges, and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that even more flooding expected Friday could be catastrophic. Washington is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders are in place for tens of thousands of residents. Some communities have been completely cut off by flooding. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged everyone to follow evacuation instructions as yet another river neared record levels.

• "I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past," Ferguson said in a post on X. "However, we're looking at a historic situation, expecting 2 feet higher than record flood level."

• About 78,000 residents of a major agricultural region north of Seattle were ordered to evacuate the floodplain of the Skagit River, which was expected to crest Friday morning. The floods were impacting large parts of the state, with several bridges flooded and some major roads washed out. Some roads had no alternate routes and no estimated reopening time, including a large part of state Route 410. A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud, and standing water.
• Near the US-Canada border, the cities of Sumas, Nooksack, and Everson were evacuated after being inundated. The border crossing at Sumas was closed and Amtrak suspended trains between Seattle and Vancouver, BC. Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch said much of the city has been "devastated" by the high waters just four years after a similar flood.
• The Snohomish River surged nearly a foot higher than its record Thursday in the picturesque city that shares its name, while the Skagit River rose just above its record Thursday night in Mount Vernon, according to the National Water Prediction Service. Earlier Thursday, the Skagit just missed its previous record as flooding surged through the mountain town of Concrete.

• Helicopters rescued two families on Thursday from the roofs of homes in Sumas that had been flooded by about 15 feet of water, while the city's fire station had 3 feet of water, according Frank Cain Jr., battalion chief for Whatcom County Fire District 14. In nearby Welcome, erosion from the floodwaters caused at least two houses to collapse into the Nooksack River, he said. No one was inside at the time. In a football field in Snoqualmie, a herd of elk swam and waded through neck-high water. In Puyallup, south of Seattle, 80 people were rescued from a flooded RV park, KIRO7 reports.
• The National Weather Service says life-threatening flooding is expected to continue on Friday, though the rain has tapered off, the Seattle Times reports. "The rain is going to be lessened, but everything is going to be flowing downstream from what's fallen over the past couple of days," says NWS meteorologist Johnny Burg. Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday.