Tens of thousands ordered to flee flooding after torrential rain in Pacific Northwest

About 78,000 residents of a major agricultural region north of Seattle were ordered to evacuate the Skagit River’s floodplain, officials said.

Along the river in Mount Vernon, teams knocked on doors in low-lying areas Thursday to inform them of evacuation notices, city authorities said.

Further north near the U.S.-Canada border, Sumas, Nooksack and Everson were evacuated after being inundated by flood waters, while the border crossing at Sumas was closed, according to Whatcom County. Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch said much of the city has been “devastated” by the high waters just four years after a similar flood.

Over 12,000 customers in Washington were without electricity Thursday night, according to PowerOutage.us. Dozens of roads were inundated or washed out across the state, some of which had no detour or estimated time for reopening.

A mountainous section of U.S. 2 was closed due to rocks, trees and mud, while a large section of state Route 410 was closed because of water covering the roadway, according to the state transportation department.

Thursday night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent 150 fire and rescue crew members to help Washington.

Heavy rain and flooding washed out at least three bridges in the mountains of northwestern Montana, where an emergency shelter opened in a church in the small town of Libby.

Flooding river breaks record

The Snohomish River surged nearly a foot (30 centimeters) higher than its record in the picturesque city on Thursday, while the Skagit River rose just shy of the previous record in the mountain town of Concrete Thursday morning, according to the National Water Prediction Service.

Water stopped just short of getting inside Mariah Brosa's raised riverfront home in Concrete, but the raging water still slapped debris against the home and totaled her fiancé's work car, she said.

“I didn’t think it would come this high,” she said.

While updated projections are lower than previous estimates, the river was still expected to crest above the record in Mount Vernon on Friday.

Flooding from the river has long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in the county with some 35,000 residents. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people.

A floodwall that protects downtown passed a major test in 2021, when the river crested near record levels. Water was at the foot of the floodwall as of late Thursday morning, Donovan said.

In nearby Burlington, officials hoped dikes and other systems would protect the community from catastrophic flooding, said Michael Lumpkin, with the police department.

Some are worried that older levees could fail.

Officials respond to flooding

Authorities across Washington state in recent days have rescued people from cars and homes after an atmospheric river soaked the region.

Helicopters rescued two families from the roofs of homes in Sumas on Thursday that had been flooded by about 15 feet (4.6 meters) of water, while the city's fire station had 3 feet (0.91 meters) 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.

Crews in Snohomish had rescued 33 people and several pets since Wednesday night, according to the Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue.

In a football field in Snoqualmie, a herd of elk swam and waded through neck-high water.

East of Seattle, residents along Issaquah Creek used water pumps as rushing floodwaters filled yards Thursday morning. Yellow tape blocked off a hazardous area along the creek.

Issaquah resident Katy Bliss said her home’s foundation was safe for now but that a pond had formed in her backyard. “It’s still scary walking around,” she said.

Amtrak suspended trains between Seattle and Vancouver.

A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water.

Climate change has been linked to some intense rainfall. Scientists say that without specific study they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but in general it’s responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.

Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday.

This story has been corrected to show that the Skagit River is expected to crest above the record in Mount Vernon, not below.

Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Associated Press writers Gene Johnson and Hallie Golden in Seattle; Martha Bellisle in Issaquah, Washington; Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; and Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, contributed to this report.