BURLINGTON, WA – When Eddie Weeks and his wife went to sleep at their home next to the Snoqualmie River on a Washington state farm known for its sunflower mazes and Christmas trees, they weren’t too worried about the floods heading their way.
After 30 years of living in the city of Duval, northeast of Seattle, their family has had extensive experience dealing with floods, and has always survived the floods largely unscathed. But when they moved their donkeys to higher ground and their eight goats to their outdoor kitchen, the water began to rise much faster than anything they had seen before.
He added: “It was hours, not days.” “In four hours he had to rise 4 feet.”
When water engulfed their home Thursday afternoon, deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue Dive Unit were able to rescue them and their dog, transporting them by boat a half-mile (800 meters) across their field, which had turned into a lake.
They were among thousands forced to evacuate as they were considered unusually strong Atmospheric river The hurricane dumped 30 centimeters or more of rain on parts of western and central Washington over several days this week, causing rivers to overflow, submerging communities and prompting massive rescues from rooftops and vehicles.
Record flood waters The decline is expected to continue slowly on Saturday, but authorities warn that waters will remain high for several days, and that there is still a risk that dams or mudslides could collapse. There is also a risk of more rain on Sunday.
However, no deaths have been reported.
Authorities have not yet estimated costs, but photos and videos show widespread damage, with entire communities or neighborhoods submerged around western and central Washington. Officials conducted dozens of water rescues, debris and mudslides closed highways, and raging torrents washed away roads and bridges.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said President Donald Trump had signed the state’s request for an emergency declaration.
Officials issued “go now” orders Wednesday for tens of thousands of residents in the Skagit River flood plain north of Seattle, including the agricultural city of Burlington, home to nearly 10,000 people. By Friday morning, muddy water had overflowed and rushed into homes, prompting more emergency warnings for Burlington.
Rainfall on Sunday will cause river levels to rise again, said Robert Ezell, director of the Emergency Management Division at the Washington Military Department.
National Guard members knocked on hundreds of doors in Burlington early Friday to tell residents of the evacuation notice and help move them to a shelter. By late morning, the evacuation order for part of the city had been lifted and the water was slowly receding.
The Skagit River drains a wide swath of the rugged Cascade Mountain Range before turning west through broad, low-lying farmlands and tulip fields on its way to Puget Sound. Cities like Burlington lie on that delta, making them particularly vulnerable to flooding.
The river peaked overnight Thursday into Friday at 37 feet (11.2 metres) in Mount Vernon, the valley’s largest city, surpassing the previous record by a few inches. The flood wall held strong and protected the downtown area.
About 1,000 Burlington residents had to evacuate in the middle of the night, Ferguson said. Police Department spokesman Michael Lumpkin said the water ranged from 60 to 90 centimeters deep in certain areas as it submerged homes.
Mario Rincon was staying at a hotel with his family, including a week-old baby. They returned to their Burlington home on Friday, but were unable to enter, as murky flood waters had partially reached the first floor.
He added: “It will be a few days before the water recedes.”
Near the U.S.-Canada border, the areas of Sumas, Nooksack and Everson — which together have a population of about 6,500 — were flooded. The border crossing at Somas was closed.
In a message on social media, Sumas Mayor Bruce Bush acknowledged that community members were eager to return to their homes.
“Wait there,” he wrote.
Crews in King County worked through the night to fill a hole on a levee along the Green River in the Seattle suburb of Tukwila, County Executive Jermay Zahilay said Friday.
In recent days, authorities across the state have rescued people from cars and homes.
Helicopters rescued two families Thursday from flooded rooftops in Sumas, according to Frank Cain Jr., battalion chief for Whatcom County Fire District 14.
Near Deming, two homes collapsed into the Nooksack River due to erosion that undermined them. No one was inside at the time.
Climate change has been linked For some heavy rain. Scientists say that without a specific study, they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but in general it is responsible for more intense and more frequent severe storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.
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Rush reported from Portland, Oregon, and Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.