SNOHOMISH COUNTY—Flooding along multiple rivers has caused a state of emergency in the county, with ongoing impacts to roads and transportation, emergency services, and private and public properties.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers issued an emergency proclamation Tuesday afternoon.
“Flooding events like this have serious impacts on our communities, particularly our rural areas, and the safety of residents is our highest priority as we proactively declare a state of emergency and put our planning and preparation to work,” Somers said. “We have a very capable emergency management team and public safety agencies, and I want to thank them for their work to protect residents and property. I urge everyone to stay informed and to stay away from floodwaters and off water-covered roadways.”
Moderate to major flooding has occurred or is forecast to occur in the coming days on the Snohomish, Skykomish, and Stillaguamish rivers in Snohomish County, with potential to reach or exceed historic flood levels.
Significant rainfall began Monday, driving up water levels in local rivers. Another surge of water is likely later in the week and is anticipated to raise river levels again on or around Thursday.
By Tuesday morning, water over the pavement had closed roads near Stanwood, Snohomish, Monroe, Gold Bar, Sultan, and Index. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reported that several vehicles became stuck when drivers tried to navigate through water on the roadway, which is a highly dangerous thing to attempt.
Drivers should not go past “Road Closed” signs, regardless of the size of their vehicle or their familiarity with the road. As little as 6 inches of moving water is deep enough to topple an adult or to reach the bottom of most passenger cars. A foot of water will float many vehicles, and two feet of rushing water has the force to sweep away vehicles, including sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks.
First responders also assisted individuals who were not in vehicles but had become stranded in flooded areas, and a mobile home park near Monroe was being evacuated Tuesday morning due to flood concerns.
The County will work alongside partners in cities, schools, and emergency services to monitor the situation and provide information and resources as the flood event continues over the next few days.
“We’ve made it through the first part of this weather challenge, but the forecasts tell us we need to prepare for another, bigger surge of rain and high water later this week,” Snohomish County Emergency Management Director Lucia Schmit said. “We need everyone to stay vigilant and informed and to look out for each other.”
Heavy rainfall has increased landslide risk on steep, soggy slopes, and the saturated soil boosts risks of falling trees and power outages, particularly if there are windy conditions in the coming days. People should avoid sheltering in heavily wooded areas, especially during periods of wind and heavy rain.
Cold weather shelters have been opened to provide safe places for unsheltered people who are impacted by this weather emergency. Snohomish County also opened emergency stabling at the Evergreen State Fair Park in Monroe for livestock evacuated from flood areas.
People living in flood-prone areas should remain ready to evacuate their homes and if advised to leave, do so immediately. Evacuation is simpler and safer before flood waters cover roads and limit travel options.
The widespread flooding has caused dangerous road conditions which impact emergency response, including potential delayed response due to impassable roads and additional resource needs for water rescue.
The emergency proclamation allows the County to spend public funds to take reasonable and prudent measures ensuring the safety of residents and waives some administrative requirements in order to expedite response efforts. It directs county departments to take actions to mitigate and prevent impacts upon private property and publicly owned infrastructure.
The full proclamation is available to read online and will be posted at the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management.
Helpful resources:
- Snohomish County Public Safety Hub flood page: https://bit.ly/snocoflooding
- Snohomish County Real-Time Flood Information: https://snohomish.onerain.com/home.php
- Snohomish County Road Closures:
- Sheriff’s Office on X: https://x.com/SnoCoSheriff
- Closure Map: https://snoco-gis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15578784822345459c008d66ed1253ab
- NWS Forecast Map Seattle/Tacoma:http://www.weather.gov/sew/
- PUD Outage Map: https://outagemap.snopud.com/
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
