Story at a glance
- A level 5 atmospheric river brought heavy rain and flooding across the Pacific Northwest and Canada on Monday and Tuesday.
- At least one person is dead and several remain missing.
- In Washington state, tens of thousands remained without power on Tuesday.
At least one person is dead and several are missing after a level 5 atmospheric river brought heavy rain and flooding across the Pacific Northwest and Canada on Monday and Tuesday.
The atmospheric river — a long and narrow region in the atmosphere carrying high amounts of water vapor — inundated the region with heavy rain, triggering mudslides. The body of a woman was found by Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the site of a landslide in Vancouver, they said Tuesday, as searches continue for other cars that were swept up in it.
“We’re hopeful to find people alive. But obviously that diminishes with time, the nature of the slide activity. People being caught up in mud and debris, it certainly diminishes as time goes by,” David MacKenzie, the Pemberton District Search and Rescue manager, told the Globe and Mail.
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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) declared a state of emergency in 14 counties on Monday, with the Washington National Guard aiding in emergency response following severe flooding and landslides that knocked out power and closed roadways.
In Washington state, tens of thousands remained without power on Tuesday, and areas of Interstate 5 near Bellingham were closed after days of heavy rain triggered mudslides and floods.
Washington State Trooper Rocky Oliphant wrote on Twitter that three cars along Interstate 5 had been stuck in debris following mudslides, but no one was severely injured.
Areas remain closed as officials and residents wait for the flooding to recede.
“At this point in time there is no reasonably safe way to drive to Bellingham without putting yourself or others at risk,” the nearby Sumas Police Department tweeted. “Please do not drive through standing or rushing water.”
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