A blend of unusual weather created the perfect storm for an onslaught of rain to the northwest as Oregon and Washington have been battered with severe flooding.
Residents in Washington began packing up with as many as 100,000 advised to flee rising rivers in the western part of the state as heavy rain continued to pound the area. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency Wednesday, saying, “Lives will be at stake in the coming days.”
Flood Warnings Remain in Store for Washington
Earlier this week a forecast predicted the Skagit River to crest at roughly 47 feet (14.3 meters) in the mountain town of Concrete early Thursday, and roughly 41 feet (12 meters) in Mount Vernon early Friday – both records by several feet.
“Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” the National Weather Service said in a warning to residents in the area.
Several areas were warned against incoming landslides due to the significant amount of rain dropped in the area.
“Rainfall of 2 to 12 inches over the past several days, with locally higher amounts to 17 inches, has increased soil moisture to very high levels across western Washington. This amount of rain will put extra pressure on soil instability, leading to an increased threat of landslides and debris flows, especially from recent burned areas.
Washington Now Bracing for Massive Amounts of Snowfall
As the state attempts to recover from record rainfall, Washington is now bracing for a massive amount of snowfall over the next three days.
According to an interactive weather map from the National Weather Service, Mount Rainier is expected to see up to 51 inches of snow from Sunday night through Tuesday night, though that’s on the low end of expectations when it comes to other mountains in the area.
Glacier Peak is expected to be hit with up to 56 inches of snow while Mount Baker could see a staggering 62 inches of snow through Tuesday night.
Over 18 inches of snow is expected across most of the middle part of the state of Washington.
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