MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Days of torrential rain in Washington state caused historic floods that stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped…
Days of torrential rain in Washington state caused historic floods that stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that that flooding Friday could be catastrophic.
Washington is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders are in place for tens of thousands of residents. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged everyone to follow evacuation instructions as yet another river neared record levels.
“I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past,” he said on the social platform X. “However, we’re looking at a historic situation.”
On Friday morning, officials in Skagit County said all residents in the city of Burlington, north of Seattle, should evacuate as the Gages Slough River began to overflow and send water into homes. The National Guard was going door to door notifying residents to leave and assist with evacuations, the county said on its Facebook page. Officials had hoped dikes and other systems would protect their community from catastrophe.
About 78,000 residents of a major agricultural region north of Seattle were ordered to evacuate the floodplain of the Skagit River, which was expected to crest Friday morning.
A number of rivers surpassed their flood stages overnight, including the Skagit at the towns of Concrete and Mount Vernon. It crested at more than 37 feet (11.2 meters) at Mount Vernon, according to weather service data.
