Pacific Northwest Faces Severe Flooding and Evacuations

The Pacific Northwest is dealing with a serious situation. Heavy rain has been pouring down for days. This is because of a weather event called an atmospheric river. It brings a lot of moisture from the ocean to the land. Western Washington has been hit the hardest. Many areas are under flood watch. This includes the Cascade and Olympic mountains, Puget Sound, and parts of northern Oregon. The rain has been very heavy. Some places have seen 10 to 17 inches of rain. About 100, 000 people in western Washington have been told to evacuate. Most of them are in Skagit County, north of Seattle. Around 3, 800 people need temporary shelter. Rescue teams are out helping, but there are no reports of injuries or missing people yet. The worst flooding is along the Skagit, Snohomish, and Puyallup rivers. Over 30 highways and many smaller roads are closed. The BNSF Railway, a major freight line, has also been affected. Parts of it are washed out or closed due to the flooding. Officials are worried about the Skagit River. It might rise 2 feet above record levels. This could test the strength of the flood-control levees. The situation is unpredictable and dangerous. In British Columbia, five of the six highways to Vancouver are shut down. This is due to floods, falling rocks, and the risk of avalanches. Vancouver relies on a limited highway and railway network. This makes it vulnerable to severe weather. This is not the first time this has happened. In late 2021, a similar storm caused floods and mudslides. It killed four people and caused over C$500 million in damage. The storm is expected to weaken later today. But the rain is still a threat. Meteorologists say these storms might become more frequent and extreme. This is due to climate change.