Washington: Tens of thousands likely to face evacuations as heavy rains batter region; 'Go now' order issued

Tens of thousands of residents could be forced to evacuate as another round of heavy rain hits western Washington, pushing rivers toward potentially historic levels and prompting warnings of severe flooding from local officials.

The governor of Washington, Bob Ferguson, warned in his X post on Thursday that, “We anticipate potentially 100,000 Washingtonians facing evacuation orders. The situation is fluid and changing all the time. We expect rivers to hit historic levels as early as 4 a.m. tomorrow, lasting into Friday morning.” He urged residents to sign up for county emergency alerts and to keep their phones on with alerts enabled. Ferguson also said he would discuss the flooding live on CNN at 9 p.m. as he advised residents to “continue to stay alert to warnings from local and state officials on flooding, landslides, and road closures in Western Washington”



According to ABC News, days of persistent rainfall, fuelled by an atmospheric river, have already caused flooding, landslides and road closures. Governor Ferguson declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday, warning that “lives will be at stake in the coming days”.




Skagit County, north of Seattle, has issued a GO NOW evacuation order for all residents in the 100-year floodplain. Authorities urged anyone in the floodplain to move to higher ground immediately. Residents can check if their homes are affected here: Skagit County Flood Map. Non-essential government services and courts will remain closed on Thursday due to hazardous conditions



Washington state patrol chief John Batiste authorised an All-Risk Mobilization Plan, requesting four swift water rescue teams, swift water technicians, boats and operators, and a rescue swimmer. This allows resources from other jurisdictions to assist Snohomish and Skagit counties, reported AP.

Emergency crews have carried out multiple rescues. Eastside Fire & Rescue assisted residents trapped by rising water, while Pierce County sheriff’s deputies evacuated people from an RV park in Orting as waist-deep water surged. Landslides blocked parts of Interstate 90 and US Route 2, leaving vehicles trapped amid mud, trees and debris.

Over 17,000 customers had reportedly lost power by Wednesday night. The National Weather Service reported up to 6 inches of rain in 24 hours in parts of the Cascades, with nearly 7 inches in the Olympic Mountains. Meteorologists warned that another storm system may bring renewed rainfall from Sunday, keeping the region unsettled through the holiday period, ABC news reported

According to news agency AP, the Skagit River is expected to crest at about 47ft in Concrete early Thursday and roughly 41ft in Mount Vernon on Friday, potentially overtopping floodwalls and testing older levees. “It could potentially be catastrophic,” said Ellen Gamson of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association.