Families Stranded, Homes Washed Away As Rivers Keep Rising In Historic Washington Flooding

Record Flooding Transforms Snoqualmie Falls

As officials begin to take in the havoc caused by widespread flooding in Washington, Gov. Bob Ferguson said at a news briefing that there is still much danger ahead.

“This is not just a one- or two-day crisis. These water levels have been historic, and they’re going to remain very high for an extended period of time.”

A state of emergency remains in effect and tens of thousands are on alert for more evacuations.

Although the rain from an atmospheric river had paused Saturday morning, major rivers were still rising. The Skagit River near Mount Vernon crested at a record high not seen since 1990. The Snohomish River at Snohomish, Washington, topped its previous record crest from 35 years ago. The river is still rising in several other locations.

Another atmospheric river is expected to arrive late on Sunday night.

Survivor Recount Their Experiences

The waters stopped just short of getting inside Mariah Brosa's raised riverfront home in Concrete, but the raging river still slapped debris against her home and totaled her fiancé's work car, she said.

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“I didn’t think it would come this high,” she said.

Flooding from the Skagit has long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in Skagit County with some 35,000 residents. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people.

FEMA response teams have been deployed to the state following more than a foot of rain in some areas.

"Lives will be at stake in the coming days," Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said after declaring a state of emergency.

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Emergency Crews Rescue Residents

In nearby Welcome, erosion from the floodwaters caused at least two houses to collapse into the Nooksack River, he said. No one was inside at the time.

In a football field in Snoqualmie, a herd of elk swam and waded through neck-high water.

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Wednesday afternoon, a stretch of Interstate 90 was shut down at Stevens Pass when a mudslide blocked the road, Fox 13 Seattle reported. As you can see, it was quite the mess, but everyone made it out of the incident unscathed.

The rain that has fallen for days is being dumped by an atmospheric river that's funneling precipitation into the region, but the rain finally diminished late Thursday.

Still, the damage has been done. Water rescues have been needed as homes were submerged and rivers rose to dangerous levels and government offices were closed in some areas, like Skagit County.

More than 7,500 customers in Washington remained without electricity by Saturday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

In Mount Vernon, where residents in the 100-year floodplain were told to evacuate, Jake Lambly added sandbags, tested water pumps and moved valuables to the top floor of the home he shares with his 19-year-old son.

"This is my only asset," he said Wednesday from his front porch. "I got nothing else."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.