Numerous rescues were reported due to flooding in Washington Monday, as a fierce storm fueled by an atmospheric river caused rivers to swell to record levels, mudslides to block roads and high winds to leave tens of thousands without power.
Published Nov. 15, 2021 1:17 PM EST | Updated Nov. 16, 2021 8:48 AM EST
Major flooding and mudslides prompted a state of emergency declaration to be issued for parts of Washington state Monday as heavy rain caused by an atmospheric river of moisture over the Pacific continued to torment the Northwest and parts of British Columbia, Canada.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued the severe weather proclamation for 14 counties Monday thanks to the ongoing stormy pattern that has resulted in record flooding on several major rivers in the state. Some areas had received nearly 10 inches of rain over a 48-hour period as of late Monday night.
Two men stand in the flooded Skagit River and look across at an RV, Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, in Sedro-Woolley, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Numerous water rescues were reported, including one that involved several people near the city of Everson, Washington, The Associated Press reported. One person that had been last seen holding onto a tree was reported missing after being swept away by floodwaters, law enforcement officials said. Evacuations were ordered in several areas and schools were closed on Monday, the AP reported.
The United States Coast Guard shared a video showing a harrowing rescue by helicopter of six adults and four children, including one baby, near the town of Forks, Washington.
A large stretch of Interstate 5 near Bellingham, Washington, close to the Canadian border, was closed Monday due to debris floods and flooding on the highway, the Washington Department of Transportation said. The southbound stretch of I-5 in the area was reopened early Tuesday.
“The severe storm with floods, landslides, mudslides and the potential for straight-line winds is causing road closures, the need to establish alternate transportation routes, evacuations, impacts to local utility services, including significant power outages, localized reductions in available drinking water, and damage to homes and other public and private property and infrastructure,” Inslee’s office said in a statement.
High winds and saturated soil contributed to downed trees and power lines Monday evening, with over 140,000 customers without power in Washington state as of 6 p.m. PST, and at least 106,000 with power cuts in British Columbia. By Monday evening, power was being restored in many areas, but about 75,000 customers were still without power in Washington state, some for about 10 hours.
Forecasters referred to this specific atmospheric river as “the Pineapple Express” since moisture extends back to Hawaii in the tropical Pacific.
The storm had already been wreaking havoc in the region since the weekend, and some storms that slammed the region in late October had already saturated soils, which set the table for the worsening flooding this week, officials said.
Mudslides and major flooding pushed multiple vehicles off highways Sunday in southern British Columbia, as residents sheltered in recreation centers. A photo by BC Transportation Sunday evening showed Highway 1 between Popkum and Hope covered in mud. A number of evacuation orders were in place around the southern part of the province early Monday, including the city of Merritt, British Columbia. Rescues continued Monday evening, including 275 people rescued after being trapped between two landslides near Agassiz, British Columbia. The entire area was then evacuated before rescue operations halted Monday night. A huge barge also hit the Vancouver Sea Wall Monday evening.
A Washington DOT webcam in Sumas, Washington, showed buildings and streets underwater at 10 a.m. PST.
Farther south, the nearby county of Whatcom, Washington, declared a state of emergency due to threats from the heavy rain, and by Monday evening about 500 people were displaced across the county while many more were encouraged to evacuate. Around 9 a.m. local time, the Sumas Police issued a shelter-in-place order as floodwaters crested over a bridge, inundating part of the town. Early Monday afternoon, some houses in the city of Forks, Washington were evacuated. Several were rescued from a bus Monday evening near Edison, Washington.
Rainfall amounts from the last three days stood at nearly 10 inches Monday morning, with unofficial NWS stations reporting 9.60 inches in Quinault, Washington, around 9.40 inches in Mount Baker and a BC Hydro rain gauge in Orchid Lake, British Columbia, measuring 9.21 inches. Toms Creek reported just a hundredth of an inch of rain below 10 inches.
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A normally small waterfall in the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, looked like a miniature version of Niagra Falls as the raging waters cascaded over the side.
At least 12 rivers were under flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service. An NWS river gauge showed that the Bogachiel River near La Push, Washington, had broken its all-time record high level Monday at 44.93 feet. The previous record for the station was 42.64 feet, set on Nov. 6, 2006. The Nooksack River at North Cedarville, Washington, also broke its record Monday at 150.35 feet, versus the record of 149.61 feet on Nov. 6, 2006. The river was seen still raging Monday evening. The Skagit River near Mount Vernon was forecast to break its record Tuesday and was already at 35 feet Monday evening, forcing officials to close bridges.
Although the river flooding risk will continue Tuesday in some areas, precipitation will rapidly taper off in the area, except for some snow that may linger in the Washington Cascades.
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