By
Seattle Times homelessness reporter
River flooding in parts of Western Washington is expected to be “catastrophic,” especially in the coastal lowlands near the Snohomish, Stillaguamish and Skagit rivers, according to a new assessment by the National Weather Service.
Areas facing “considerable” flooding stretch from Bellingham through south of Olympia.
“Catastrophic” flooding is expected from Mount Vernon through Everett and into areas east of Redmond.
Catastrophic flooding could bring significant risk to life and property, with a high risk of levees being topped and landslides expected in steep terrain, according to the National Weather Service. It could also mean record floods that destroy roads and structures and require evacuations or rescues of people and property, National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Reedy said.
‘Catastrophic‘ flooding areas
Severe flooding is expected from Mount Vernon through Everett and into areas east of Redmond.
“I’ve been working here at the Seattle office for 12 years and I have never seen anything like this,” Reedy said.
Reedy said this flood outlook is cause for serious concern for people living near a river. And while he said he is less concerned about urban areas, he said any drain that gets clogged could still quickly result in flooding. He advises residents to monitor local news, follow updates from the National Weather Service, and pay close attention to the instructions of local law enforcement.
“We’re already getting word of evacuations going into place,” Reedy said. “Heed your local law enforcement. If they say it’s time to move to higher ground, they’re not kidding around.”
Greg Kim: 206-464-2532 or grkim@seattletimes.com. Greg Kim is a Project Homeless reporter at The Seattle Times who writes about homelessness and the systems that intersect with it, especially housing.