More Heavy Rain and Flooding in Store for Battered Northwest

It is beginning to feel like Groundhog Day across the Pacific Northwest. The relentless storm train that has been chugging through the region in recent days is going to continue through late this week. Here is the latest on the devastation unfolding in western Washington, as well as what the region needs to prepare for over the rest of the week.

Two Levee Failures and One Fatality Reported in Western Washington

The heavy rain and resulting flooding claimed its first life in the northwestern U.S. early Tuesday.  According to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, a 33-year-old man died when he drove his vehicle onto a road that had been closed for flooding. The vehicle was submerged under about 6 feet of floodwater. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Unfortunately for the water-logged Northwest, more heavy rain is on the deck as the week progresses. The influx of fresh moisture will heighten the already high flooding threat.  Monday's Pineapple Express event in western Washington triggered the failure of two levees in King County, home to Seattle.

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Seattle issued a flash flood warning early Tuesday for portions of southwestern King County. The warning was prompted after levees surrounding the White River in the community of Pacific began to fail. This failure comes after a different levee collapsed on Monday afternoon in Tukwilla along the Green River.

Moving farther to the north in the Seattle metro area, the Snohomish and Skagit rivers are both expected to possibly hit major flood stage by late Tuesday. No injuries have been reported with the levee failures thus far.

The day dawned on Tuesday on a relatively calm note in western Washington. However, the respite will not last long. A new storm is waiting to strike late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. Flooding and mudslide threats will be amplified as more rain falls on the already saturated ground. River and stream flooding will also continue to pose hazards.

The forecast is calling for moderate to major flooding along the short-run rivers located in the intermediate and higher elevations of the Cascades over the next few days. Snow levels will begin to fall on Tuesday and into Wednesday as cooler air moves down from the north. This will support the development of snow below pass level, potentially complicating travel over the Cascades.