Residents of the Pacific Northwest in the United States and Canada are bracing for record flooding as atmospheric rivers pour heavy rain into already swollen rivers.
The National Weather Service warned of significant flooding along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers in Oregon and Washington.
In Canada, major highways to Vancouver were closed due to flooding, debris and avalanche risk.
Thousands of people are under evacuation orders in the United States and Canada, and authorities have warned more rain is expected on Thursday.
In the United States, Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency across the state on Wednesday, and it is estimated that 100,000 residents will soon be ordered to evacuate.
The emergency declaration warned that continued rain and snow in mountainous areas would worsen the flooding situation. The declaration added that there could be serious impacts on supply chains and transportation.
Skagit County, a major agricultural area north of Seattle, ordered residents living in floodplains to immediately evacuate.
About 75,000 people will be evacuated from low-lying areas of the Skagit River, Washington Military Emergency Management Director Robert Ezelle told reporters Wednesday.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post overnight that it had rescued “multiple people” trapped at a home in Sultan, Washington, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northeast of Seattle, by helicopter.
The sheriff’s office warned residents Thursday morning that the eastern part of the county was hardest hit as the Skykomish River rose more than 24 feet (7 meters) overnight.
They said the Snohomish River is also experiencing major flooding and is “dancing with the records” as water crashes against local floodwalls.
King County and Snohomish County officials said state and local roads had been closed multiple times and were more likely to close Thursday.
Swiftwater teams had to rescue three people from an RV park in Orting, about 42 miles south of Seattle, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said in a video post Wednesday. Several roads were also closed in the county.
ReutersAcross the border in British Columbia, Canada, evacuation orders were issued for the communities of Tulameen and Eastgate, as well as several other areas.
The City of Abbotsford ordered the emergency evacuation of 371 buildings at 23:00 local time on Wednesday (07:00 GMT on Thursday).
City officials said they expected the Nooksack River to overflow its banks in the early hours of Thursday, creating flooding that has caused significant damage and five deaths in 2021, although not as severe as the one in the area.
All major highways to the Lower Mainland are currently closed, according to travel information website Drive BC.
The U.S.-Canada Sumas border crossing is also closed in both directions.
Entire regions across parts of the United States and Canada received torrential rain from atmospheric rivers. This is a phenomenon where water evaporates into the air and is carried by the wind, forming a long ocean current that cuts through the sky like a river flowing on land.
The heaviest rain is expected to end by Thursday afternoon, but water will continue to flow into rivers.
Another storm is expected on Sunday.
