Atmospheric river unleashes flooding in Washington state

Heavy rains and atmospheric flooding in Washington State over the past few days has caused widespread power outages, displaced hundreds of people and inundated 14 counties with floodwater.

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) declared a state of emergency on Nov. 15 as a severe storm moved into the Pacific Northwest on Nov. 12, bringing wind gusts above 60 mph and several inches of rainfall across the state.

“The severe storm with floods, landslides, mudslides, and the potential for straight-line winds is causing road closures, the need to establish alternate transportation routes, evacuations, impacts to local utility services including significant power outages, localized reductions in available drinking water, and damage to homes and other public and private property and infrastructure,” the governor said in the proclamation.

“These storms are causing hazardous conditions,” he added. 

The 14 counties under the emergency order are: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom.

Hundreds are evacuating homes and heading into shelters. Inslee has ordered the Washington National Guard to assist with evacuations and rescue efforts.

In Whatcom, more than 500 residents were reported displaced by the storm, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

RESCUE OPERATION UNDERWAY. A look at the current conditions in the Everson area as deputies evacuate stranded residents in WCSO’s rescue vehicle. pic.twitter.com/rOoIHifyh1

— Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (@whatcomsheriff) November 15, 2021

The Seattle Times reported more Tuesday morning than 49,000 residents in Western Washington were still without power, down from more than 150,000 on Monday. Major roads remain closed, because of flooding or mudslides, including Interstate 5 near Bellingham, which has only re-opened its southbound lanes.

The storm is expected to dissipate on Tuesday, but the National Weather Service in Seattle reported three rivers remain in a “major flood stage,” including Bogachiel near La Plush, Nooksack at North Cedarville and the Skagit near Mt. Vernon, which just crested above 35 feet,  a near record level of flooding.

A look at the #Coquihalla in the #BChwy5 Portia area. Crews are on site and engineers are assessing the risk and impact. Safety is our top priority.
Check @DriveBC for updates. pic.twitter.com/TjdHtkLEuP

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) November 14, 2021