Cantwell Statement on Extreme Flooding in WA

Gov. Ferguson signed an emergency proclamation today in anticipation of likely record-breaking floods throughout Puget Sound, the North Cascades, and low-lying river basins in Eastern WA; Residents in Northwestern WA securing property, preparing for possible evacuation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) issued weather alerts for the Northern Cascades and Puget Sound regions warning of likely record-breaking flooding in the coming days. Residents in Skagit County -- including those near Burlington, Mount Vernon, Sedro Wooley, Lyman, Concrete, and Hamilton -- may need to evacuate. Today, a Level 3 “GO NOW” evacuation order was issued for some residents of Orting near the Puyallup River.

NWS is also warning communities along the Lower Yakima River and the Columbia River to brace for flooding which poses a serious threat to life and property.

Following a briefing with NWS officials, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) issued the following statement:

“We are working to get federal assistance immediately available to respond to the potential once-in-a-lifetime flooding in the State of Washington, especially around the Puget Sound, north Cascades, and low-lying areas east of the mountains. NOAA forecasters are anticipating potentially record-breaking flooding along the Skagit, Snohomish, and Columbia rivers tonight and tomorrow. To folks in those areas, please pay attention to emergency alerts, follow instructions from the local authorities, and be prepared to move to protect yourself and your loved ones,” Sen. Cantwell said.

A list with links to the websites and social media pages for the emergency management divisions of every county in Washington state is available HERE.

• The Skagit County Emergency Management website is HERE
• Snohomish County is HERE
• King County is HERE
• For road and highway updates, follow the Washington State Department of Transportation’s real-time travel map.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

• Ongoing major flooding across the Northern Cascades and Puget Sound regions of the Pacific Northwest is expected to worsen and likely reach record levels later this week.
• Locally catastrophic river flooding is likely, especially along the Skagit and Snohomish Rivers.
• As many as 34 gaged locations along major streams and rivers in the region have reached, or are forecast to reach, moderate-to-major flood stage this week.
• At least 6 of these locations are forecast to reach record flood stage. These include:
• Elwha River at McDonald Bridge near Port Angeles, WA
• Puyallup River near Orting, WA
• Snohomish River near Monroe, WA
• Snohomish River near Snohomish, WA
• Skagit River near Mt. Vernon, WA
• Skagit River near Concrete, WA
• With rivers already at moderate-to-major flood stage across the region, another surge of heavy rainfall is likely today and into tomorrow bringing an additional 4-6 inches of rain to the Olympics and Cascades, with localized amounts of up to 10 inches possible.
• This comes after 2+ days of heavy rainfall that has already produced 8-10 inches of rainfall across the Cascades.
• This amount of rain will also lead to an increased threat of landslides and debris flows, especially in recently burned areas.
• Numerous landslides have already been reported across the region, including one that closed eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 near North Bend, WA, for six hours Monday night and another on Tuesday between SR-18 and North Bend
• Several dams and levees in the region are being monitored for overtopping and/or failure, including the Lake Sylvia Dam, Howard Hanson Dam, and Mud Mountain Dam.

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