Torrential rains and back-to-back atmospheric rivers have produced record flooding across parts of Western Washington and Northwest Oregon, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. Flood watches and warnings remain in effect after days of heavy rain, high winds and swollen rivers.
Local emergency officials say tens of thousands are under evacuation advisories, with KUOW reporting roughly 78,000 people in Skagit County’s flood plain among those affected. Authorities continue to update the public through live blogs and local emergency-management channels.
Photographs and scenes from the hardest-hit communities show the scale of the flooding:
– Neighbors look on as Gages Slough overflows and inundates a street in Burlington, Wash. (Megan Farmer/KUOW)
– National Guard members gather at the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department before assisting with evacuations as waters rise in Burlington. (Megan Farmer/KUOW)
– Eric Gustin paddles to dry ground after rescuing a chicken from a flooded coop in Burlington. (Stephen Brashear/AP)
– Floodwaters from the Skagit River submerge farms and homes near Lyman, Wash. (Stephen Brashear/AP)
– Residents kayak to rescue a golden retriever named Princess from a flooded apartment complex near the Skykomish River in Monroe. (Megan Farmer/KUOW)
– Longtime Skagit County resident Dennis Reasbeck fortifies his home before evacuating after never having had to leave for flooding in decades. (Mitch Borden/KNKX)
– A park in Mount Vernon fills with rising water from the Skagit River. (Mitch Borden/KNKX)
– Jason Prescott loads filled sandbags into his vehicle in Mount Vernon as neighbors try to protect homes. (Megan Farmer/KUOW)
– A driver navigates floodwaters from the Snohomish River in Snohomish; many communities were under evacuation orders after rivers burst their banks. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)
– Eleven-year-old Maery Schine is helped from a rescue boat by Chehalis Fire Department personnel after evacuating with her father in Chehalis. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
Officials have organized large-scale evacuations, deployed the National Guard, and used boats and armored vehicles to reach residents cut off by high water. People have been moving pets and livestock to higher ground, filling sandbags, and boarding up or reinforcing homes where possible.
While some rivers have crested in places, emergency managers warn that flood risks persist as water moves downstream and as roads, levees and other infrastructure remain vulnerable. Widespread power outages and road closures have been reported in some counties. Residents in affected areas are urged to heed evacuation orders and to monitor local emergency-management offices and news outlets for the latest guidance and road-condition updates.
Correction: This story was updated to reflect conditions in Northwest Oregon at the time of publication.