SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — Heavy rainfall caused flooding, closed roads and triggered landslides in parts of western Washington on Tuesday.
A potent atmospheric river stalled over western Washington, bringing rain and raising snow levels, and melting recent snowfall in the mountains.
Mount Vernon has deployed its flood wall and will keep it in place until Thursday, December 7. According to the city, the Parks Department will be cleaning up at Lions Park and Edgewater Park over the next few days.
Flooding
Skagit County officials urged residents living in low-lying, flood-prone areas to plan and prepare to evacuate between Tuesday evening and Wednesday.
Communities in Skagit County most often affected by floodwaters include:
- Marblemount
- Rockport
- Thunderbird Lane
- Concrete
- Cape Horn
- Birdsview
- Hamilton
- Cockerham
- Lyman
- Day Creek
The Skagit River reached its highest point in Concrete around 10 p.m. on Tuesday at 33.74 feet. The river is still at major flood stage as of early Wednesday morning.
The Red Cross established a shelter at Hamilton First Baptist Church in Sedro-Woolley to help those displaced by flooding.
Meanwhile, in Snohomish County "multiple" homes off Jordan Road in Granite Falls flooded near the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River, according to viewer Shelsea Eney.
A man was rescued from the submerged car that he drove onto a flooded roadway in Granite Falls early Tuesday morning.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue were dispatched to Lewis Street Park in Monroe for reports of four people and a dog trapped at nearby Al Borlin Park after the Skykomish River and Woods Creek swelled from heavy rain and snowmelt. Swift water rescue swimmers on kayaks brought all four people and the dog to higher ground within 30 minutes.
By 6 p.m., the community of Silvana in Snohomish County was cut off on Pioneer Highway in both directions.
The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office warned drivers that in dim light, it can be difficult to judge the depth of water over a flooded roadway, and reminded people to "Turn around, don't drown," a common refrain from law enforcement, rescue agencies and the National Weather Service during times of heavy rainfall.
Even shallow water can be deadly to drivers and pedestrians. Snohomish County Emergency Management noted 6 inches of fast-moving water is enough for an adult to be knocked over and carried away. Twelve inches of fast-moving water can carry away a small car and 18-24 inches of fast-moving water can carry away most large SUVs, vans and trucks.
Road closures and transportation
Trooper Kelsey Harding with Washington State Patrol said the agency responded to more than a dozen collisions since midnight in Snohomish County across Interstate 5, Interstate 405 and state Route 530. She asked that drivers slow down while the flooding persists.
Dozens of roads throughout the region closed at least temporarily on Tuesday due to flooding.
State Route 530 was closed between Arlington Heights Road and East Burke Avenue in Arlington in both directions due to excess water on the roadway, before eventually reopening.
Oso Loop Road also closed Tuesday between 302nd Street NE and the 23500 block as water collects on the roadway. It reopened by 4 p.m.
In Whatcom County, state Route 20 was closed near Colonial Creek and the south end of Diablo Lake due to water over the roadway, WSDOT said.
Roads around the north Puget Sound area also closed due to water over roadways, including in Snohomish, King and Skagit counties.
WSDOT said they had been receiving multiple reports of water pooling on the roadways around the region. They reminded drivers to not drive through standing water and to give crews room to work.
Road Closures
Landslides
Amtrak suspended all train service between Portland and Seattle after a landslide caused mud and debris to cover the tracks. The slide occurred about six miles north of Vancouver on Tuesday morning.
A small landslide closed the Burke-Gilman trail just south of Riviera Place Northeast and Lakeside Place Northeast in Seattle. Crews are assessing the damage, and a detour will be set up.
