More Atmospheric Rivers Coming For Flooded Washington And The West...

Rain has finally come to an end in flooded Washington and the Pacific Northwest, but the region can’t breathe easy: More heavy rain from new atmospheric rivers will arrive next week.

As of Saturday, Stehekin Valley, a remote area of Washington only reachable by boat or aircraft, is already under an evacuation order in preparation for the upcoming rain.

“Slide areas may slide again, and creeks and drainages are expected to rise,” Chelan County Emergency Management posted on social media.

Rivers are dangerously swollen after a dayslong deluge from a powerful atmospheric river triggered historic flooding, tens of thousands of evacuations and dozens of water rescues.

“The situation is truly historic. Rivers like the Skagit River and Cedar Rivers literally experiencing historic levels of flooding,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said during a Friday news conference. “This is something that the people of the state of Washington have not faced before, this level of flooding.”

Floodwater was waist deep in many places, but more than 15 feet deep in the hardest-hit areas like Sumas, Washington, where the Coast Guard rescued dozens. Some people were rescued from rapidly rising floodwater by helicopter while others were taken to safety by boat from their homes or atop cars.

Dozens of people were also rescued in King County, including dramatic operations where people were lifted from treetops, Brendan McCluskey, director of the King County Office of Emergency Management, said during the news conference.

In Whatcom County, officials responded to more than 40 rescue calls, including at least 20 involving water rescues, according to a county news release.

Danger also spiked in Burlington, Washington, on Friday as floodwater spilled into homes. An evacuation order went out to everyone in city limits early in the morning, with the National Guard going door-to-door to notify residents, but was partially lifted a few hours later.

“The situation is extremely unpredictable,” the governor said. “We saw that in Burlington last night, where literally, in the middle of the night, about 1,000 folks had to flee their homes in a really dire situation.”

Source: HackerNews