In western Washington, tens of thousands are bracing for potential evacuation as yet another deluge threatens to unleash catastrophic flooding on Thursday. This latest onslaught of heavy rain could push river levels to historic highs, exacerbating an already dire situation across the region.

Having endured days of relentless rainfall, residents have seen rescues and road closures become a common occurrence. By Wednesday, the situation had escalated to such a critical level that Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency. With a solemn warning that “lives will be at stake in the coming days,” Ferguson underscored the urgency of the situation. In the Skagit County, a vital agricultural hub north of Seattle, authorities have already instructed residents living within the Skagit River’s floodplain to evacuate to higher ground.

Ferguson cautioned that “catastrophic flooding is likely” in numerous areas, prompting the state to call for water rescue teams and boats. His update on the social media platform X Wednesday night was a stark reminder of the potential devastation on the horizon.

To bolster local efforts, hundreds of National Guard members are being deployed to assist communities, as confirmed by Gent Welsh, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard.

In Pierce County, located southeast of Seattle, emergency teams have been actively working to save lives. On Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies rescued individuals from an RV park in Orting, a valley that leads out to Mount Rainier’s foothills. Among those pulled to safety was a man clad in a Santa hat, navigating through waist-deep floodwaters. Parts of Orting have been ordered to evacuate due to the perilously high levels of the Puyallup River and the precarious state of upstream levees.

A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos from Eastside Fire & Rescue showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water. Officials also closed a mountainous section of U.S. 2 due to rocks, trees and mud.

More than 17,000 customers in Washington had lost electricity by Wednesday night, according to PowerOutage.us.

As of Wednesday night, 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 centimeters) of rain had fallen around the Cascade Mountains in 24 hours, while the Olympic Mountains saw almost 7 inches (17.8 centimeters), according to the National Weather Service.

Flooding rivers could break records

The Skagit River is expected to crest at roughly 47 feet (14.3 meters) in the mountain town of Concrete early Thursday, and roughly 41 feet (12 meters) in Mount Vernon early Friday.

“We feel very confident that we can handle a ‘normal flood,’ but no one really knows what a 41, 42 foot river looks like south of Mount Vernon,” Darrin Morrison, a commissioner for Dike District 3 in Skagit County, said during a public meeting Wednesday night.

The county was closing non-essential government services on Thursday, including all district and superior court services.

Flooding from the river has long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in the county with some 35,000 residents. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people.

The city completed a floodwall in 2018 that helps protect the downtown. It passed a major test in 2021, when the river crested near record levels.

But the city is on high alert. The historic river levels expected Friday could top the wall, and some are worried that older levees could fail.

“It could potentially be catastrophic,” said Ellen Gamson, executive director of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association.

Jake Lambly added sandbags, tested water pumps and moved valuables to the top floor of the home he shares with his 19-year-old son.

“This is my only asset,” he said Wednesday from his front porch. “I got nothing else.”

Cities respond to flooding

Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the weather service in Seattle, described the atmospheric river soaking the region as “a jet stream of moisture” stretching across the Pacific Ocean “with the nozzle pushing right along the coast of Oregon and Washington.”

In Sumas, a small city along the U.S.-Canada border, a flood siren rang out at city hall and residents were told to leave. The border crossing was also closed to southbound commercial vehicles to leave more room for evacuations, according to the Abbotsford Police Department.

Climate change has been linked to some intense rainfall. Scientists say that without specific study they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but in general it’s responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.

Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday.

“The pattern looks pretty unsettled going up to the holidays,” Rademacher said.

___