The governor of Washington state, Bob Ferguson, stated that the damage caused to the state by the floods is significant, but its exact extent is still unclear after more than a week of heavy rainfall and record-breaking floods. According to the weather forecast, a further rise in water levels, landslides, and power outages are expected.
The storms brought about 60 centimeters of rain to parts of the Cascade Mountains, leading to a significant rise in water levels and necessitating over 600 rescue operations across 10 counties.
As of yesterday, one death has been recorded: a man died after driving his car past warning signs into a flooded area. Some major highways were completely submerged by floodwaters, while others were damaged, as water engulfed entire regions.
Evacuation orders were issued for up to 100,000 people at times, particularly in the Skagit River Valley north of Seattle.
The National Weather Service reported that rising river levels and the risk of flooding could continue into later this month.
