Flooding in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has been hit hard by at least two atmospheric rivers in the last week, with parts of Western Washington receiving 18 inches of rain within days. Towns are completely flooded, hundreds of thousands have lost power, roads have collapsed, and one house was literally swept away by the Nooksack River in northwest Washington. Significant parts of Highway 2 between Skykomish and Leavenworth have collapsed, with many parts sliding directly into the Wenatchee River, and according to Washington’s governor, it will remain closed for a few months at least. So far, the deaths from all this flooding have been relatively minimal, with one reported death in Snohomish, Washington. But hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated all over the region and many have lost everything.

These floods come just a couple months after Typhoon Halong hit Western Alaska and only four years after another atmospheric river hit the same parts of western Washington that are currently suffering today. Floods, like wildfires, have become increasingly worse around the world over the last couple decades for two major reasons: the snow line is creeping higher and thus, more rain is falling instead of snow and warmer air over a warming ocean can hold a lot more moisture. Additionally, human development of various kinds has also made water management more challenging, as the addition of asphalt, buildings, structures, and other impervious surfaces allows more rainwater to go unabsorbed. Non-native vegetation, monoculture farming, and a lack of biodiversity also greatly affect the water cycle in areas and can cause increased erosion.

How to Help

Don’t put yourself in potentially dangerous situations that could result in people having to come rescue you. This means not crossing mountain passes in stormy weather unless absolutely necessary (i.e. you are officially evacuating) and it also means abiding by road closures and not driving into standing water. Six inches of water could stall a car while 12 inches could completely kill an engine and one to two feet of water could carry away SUVs and trucks. Additionally, the water might also be hiding areas of the road that have collapsed, meaning you could accidentally end up in much deeper water than expected.

In the aftermath of a disaster like these floods, it’s also important to know what to do if you’re finally able to enter your house by doing the following:

• Turn off utilities before entering and do not touch electrical equipment while touching water.
• Wear protective gear (N95 mask, gloves, goggles, etc) while cleaning
• Do not drink the water from your faucets if you’re using a small water system, as flooding is a serious contamination risk.
• Be wary of items that have been sitting in water for more than two days, as it only takes 24-48 hours for mold to start growing after a flood. That goes for your walls, flooring, and carpets too.

While the worst of this storm is hopefully behind us, there is still more rain and wind in our future, especially with climate change continuing to worsen. These storms, along with wildfires in the summers and other natural disasters, are going to continue happening if we don’t do something drastic to help the environment. With that in mind, it’s good to have a go bag ready for you, your family, and your animals if you do have to quickly evacuate during a natural disaster. Find an example list of what to include in your go bag here.

Support local businesses and nonprofits both on- and offline. There are many, many businesses in the entire region facing the economic weight of these floods. Some, like those in Leavenworth, are likely to see a significant drop in business and others deal with stores completely flooding. Because recovery is still ongoing and actually going to various places impacted by the storms isn’t feasible (or smart), consider getting gift cards online from small businesses for future use. That could be an easy way to give small businesses money while planning to visit after the recovery has happened. The Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, for example, has online gift cards you can get.

The following organizations are just some of the many that are currently helping flood victims and the brackets are what they’re generally able to both accept and offer.