Another round of showers and heavy wind will hit communities that have already weathered several days of flooding.
The next atmospheric river will wash over Western Washington through Monday night, followed by another weather system Tuesday into Wednesday, said Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the Seattle office of the National Weather Service.
Auburn city officials in King County issued Level 3 evacuation orders late Saturday for some homes and businesses as the Green River swelled. The order reflects the highest level of evacuation guidance, instructing people to “go now.”
Video captures floodwaters sweeping away an entire house in Deming, Washington in Whatcom County. Meanwhile in Skagit County, residents may not know whether they would be at risk during record flooding since FEMA flood maps in Skagit County haven’t been updated in 40 years.
Here’s what to know about the latest road closures.
We’ll be updating this page with the latest weather forecasts, closures, resources and news throughout the day. Check back for the latest updates.
Slide on eastbound I-90 near North Bend closes 2 lanes
—Qina Liu
Skagit County flood maps showing high-risk areas are 40 years old
In Skagit County, residents may not know whether they would be at risk during record flooding. FEMA flood maps for Skagit County haven’t been updated in 40 years.
The county is among only 11% nationwide whose maps are that old, according to a 2019 report by the nonprofit First Street, an organization that researches climate risk.
Read the full story here.
—Lulu Ramadan
Water levels go down on Green River
The Army Corps of Engineers is attempting to manage flood risks along the Green and White rivers by reducing how much water it lets out of the Howard A. Hanson Dam as the region prepares for the next wave of heavy rain.
As water builds up behind the dam, the Green River Basin will have more space to handle the stormwater, according to a statement from Kyle Comanor, senior water manager for the Corps’ Seattle District.
The Corps aimed to get river flows below 10,000 cubic feet per second on the Green River. The most recent reading of the river in Auburn, parts of which remain under varying evacuation orders, was at 9,964 cfs at 7 a.m. Monday.
On Sunday, the river was at 11,500 cfs at 7 a.m. The river height in Auburn has also dropped, from 68.4 feet Sunday morning to 67.4 feet Monday.
Once the rain lets up and flows drop below the dams, the Corps will release more water from the dams, leading to high river levels — even after the rain relents. The higher flood risks remain until all stored water is released.
—Nick Deshais
‘Sarah, get the hell out of the house!’
Sometime early Thursday, a tree crashed down right next to the home of Sarah Hansen and Mike Khazak, behind the couple’s bedroom window in Deming, in unincorporated Whatcom County.
An hour or so later, the Nooksack River ripped away the house’s sunroom, an addition that Khazak had built recently. And by 8 a.m. Thursday, Hansen said, the main house and its foundation “just broke free” and washed down the raging river, leaving behind only a garage overhanging the riverbank.
How to prepare for potential evacuations, power outages
With heavy rain and high winds forecast for an already inundated Western Washington, residents should be prepared for potential power outages and flooding.
Here’s what to know about preparing for what could be ahead.
Read the full story here.
—Caitlyn Freeman
These WA highways, roads are still closed after flooding
A 6-mile stretch of northbound Highway 167 was still closed Monday morning due to flooding from last week. A handful of other highways also remained closed on Monday.
Read the full story here.
—Alex Halverson
What to know about ongoing impacts, coming showers
The next atmospheric river will wash over Western Washington between Sunday night and Monday night, followed by another weather system Tuesday into Wednesday, said Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the Seattle office of the National Weather Service. Here’s what to know about the latest forecast, evacuation orders and how to help.
