Key Highlights
- “These water levels have been historic, and they’re going to remain very high for an extended period of time.”Ferguson confirmed that Donald Trump approved Washington’s request to the president for an emergency declaration. The flooding followed an exceptionally powerful atmospheric river that dumped more than a foot (30 cm) of rain over parts of western Washington, swelling rivers and saturating the ground.
- No fatalities have been reported, according to Ferguson. Flooding remains threat in Pacific north-west as Washington declares emergencyRead moreAlthough officials have yet to calculate the damage, images and videos reveal entire neighborhoods under water throughout western and central Washington.
- Dozens of water rescues were carried out while landslides and debris blocked highways, and raging currents destroyed roads and bridges. On Wednesday, officials issued immediate “go now” evacuation orders for tens of thousands of residents in the Skagit River floodplain north of Seattle, including Burlington, a farming community of about 10,000 residents.
- By Friday morning, muddy water had spilled over a slough and into homes, prompting renewed evacuation warnings. National guard troops went door to door early on Friday in Burlington, alerting residents to leave and offering transportation to local shelters.
- By late morning, the evacuation order was lifted for part of the city as water levels began to drop.
