Due to another round of heavy rainfall brought by atmospheric rivers, water levels of some already flooded rivers in Washington State, USA have once again risen. In King County, several riverbanks collapsed, leading to large-scale evacuations and traffic disruptions. Additionally, in Snohomish County, flooding resulted in one fatality.
According to media reports, on Monday, December 15th, the Green River embankment system, located approximately 8 kilometers from downtown Seattle, breached due to prolonged high water levels and saturated soil. Floodwaters quickly inundated the industrial and commercial areas at the intersection of Tukwila, Kent, and Renton. Authorities initially issued a “life-threatening flash flood warning” affecting about 46,000 residents, later narrowing the evacuation zone to around 1,100 people. Rescue teams worked overnight using large sandbags and engineering equipment to seal the breach, temporarily stabilizing the water flow that same evening.
In the early hours of Tuesday, December 16th, another embankment breach occurred along the White River in Pacific, over 30 kilometers south of Seattle, prompting King County’s Emergency Management Department to issue a Level Three “Go Now” evacuation order for approximately 2,100 residents. Police went door-to-door notifying residents to evacuate, while engineers continued to reinforce the riverbanks to prevent further breaches.
The Washington State Department of Transportation stated that the flooding had led to the closure of certain road sections in the low-lying areas of the state’s western regions. Governor Bob Ferguson announced on Tuesday afternoon that a roughly 80-kilometer segment of Highway 2 in the Tumwater Canyon area is expected to remain closed for several months, significantly impacting communities in western Washington.
According to the fire department, in Snohomish County northeast of Seattle, a 33-year-old man ignored road closure signs and drove into a flooded road, becoming trapped with his vehicle. Early Tuesday morning, rescue teams found the man inside the completely submerged car, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The meteorological department predicts that western Washington State will experience further heavy rainfall later on Tuesday evening.