The Brief
- The major flooding that swept through western Washington this week has largely died down, as the atmospheric river dries out.
- Communities are now dealing with long cleanup efforts, and other towns have been boxed in by road closures and infrastructure damage.
- Several rivers crested Thursday and Friday at all-time record heights. The Skagit River at Mt. Vernon, the Cedar River at Renton, the Snohomish River at Snohomish and the Nooksack River at North Cedarville all set new record river crests.
- Western Washington is drying out through Saturday, with the next round of rain showers arriving early Sunday morning and continuing through the afternoon.
- This story will be updated continuously throughout the day. Check back for updates.
An atmospheric river drenched western Washington this week, causing record-high river flooding and prompting evacuations throughout the region. Governor Bob Ferguson has reported that more than 250 people were rescued from flooding across the state this week.
While most rivers hit peak levels on Thursday, the damage left by the worst of the flooding continues to impact communities, with lingering road closures and other weather impacts a possibility.
11:45 a.m.: Governor Ferguson, Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell update the public on progress…