The Pacific Northwest saw another wave of heavy rain and high winds on Monday prompting schools in the area to evacuate and close.
An atmospheric river surround the area over the weekend, with near-constant rain, and its tail “coming for a final thrust,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Atmospheric rivers have been classified as 5 – the highest level, according to Weather channel. This river in the sky A 2017 study claimed to be responsible for up to 65% of extreme rain and snowfall in the western United States.
Late Monday, Governor Jay Inslee declared a severe weather emergency in 14 western Washington counties and said the state’s Department of Emergency Management, with support from the National Guard. Washington, will coordinate the response.
Monday’s flooding and landslides closed part of Interstate 5 near Bellingham, Washington. with three cars stuck in debris. No one was seriously injured, State Trooper Rocky Oliphant say on Twitter.
All schools in Bellingham and surrounding counties were closed Monday due to hazardous travel conditions.
The city saw record rainfall on Sunday, with 2.78 inches in a single day. The previous record was 0.88 inches in a day, in 1998.
Caylon Coomes of Bellingham drove trucks and paddleboards from his home near Lake Whatcom to some of the city’s flooded streets near Interstate.
“It looks pretty out there (by the lake) but the street looks a little better,” he said. Coomes met another man in a parking lot, and wearing wetsuits, they waded into the water and paddled past cars stuck in floodwaters.
The Skagit River in Washington, close to the Canadian border, could reach a 115-year high, The Weather Channel reported it.
As water rose into the river, residents were warned of possible flooding in Sedro-Woolley, Burlington and Mount Vernon. Just south of the border in Sumas, Washington, officials said the city hall was flooded and they had not seen such devastating flooding since 1990.
“At this time, there is no reasonably safe way to drive to Bellingham without endangering yourself or others. Please do not drive through standing or fast-moving water,” the city’s police department said via Twitter.
Related:Atmospheric river to the end of the Pacific Northwest
Officials said on Twitter southwest of Sumas, deputies using a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office rescue vehicle evacuated residents trapped in the Everson area. One person is missing after being swept away by floodwaters and was last seen clinging to a tree, Everson police said via Facebook.
The National Weather Service warned that there could be winds close to hurricanes in the area. In Oregon, biggest wind will hit the coast with gusts of up to 50 to 70 mph. A gust of 58 mph was reported Monday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
More than 158,000 customers were without power in Western Washington at one point Monday, The Seattle Times report.
Emergency officials warn that people should see water in low-lying roads and should turn around instead of driving through water on the road. That water can move faster and deeper than imagined, seriously endangering the occupants of the vehicle.
Forecasters said conditions would improve on Tuesday after parts of the region had seen more than 6 inches of rain over the past few days.
Contributors: Associated Press; Zach Urness, Salem Statesman Magazine
