Live updates: 100,000 evacuated in historic Skagit Valley flood in Washington state

• "Catastrophic" conditions as atmospheric river sweeps Western Washington state.
• 100,000 people evacuated from their homes in the Skagit Valley, an hour north of Seattle, told to move to higher ground.

8:17 am

Skagit residents told to 'GO NOW'

“GO NOW.” That’s the message from Skagit County to 100,000 residents who live in the valley’s floodplains. Parts of Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley are under mandatory evacuation orders because of the swollen Skagit River.

“This is a flood that we haven't seen before,” Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan said. “The potential for catastrophic flooding is real ... and so we need to encourage people to heed that warning and to move on to higher ground.”

The Skagit River is expected to rise at least two feet above record levels near Mount Vernon tomorrow — after it's expected to break the record near Concrete today.

The National Weather Service has also issued a flash flood watch for western Skagit and northwestern Snohomish Counties because it is worried some levees and dikes along the Skagit River could fail.

'Catastrophic' conditions

Western Washington braced for what the National Weather Service in Seattle called “catastrophic” conditions Wednesday as an atmospheric river drenched the state.

The NWS forecasted major flooding for 17 rivers as rain persisted across the region. Parts of Northwest Oregon were also affected, with flood warnings in place for several rivers.

Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency in response to the intense flooding. Several impacted counties also issued evacuation orders Wednesday afternoon.

The ocean-crossing storms known as atmospheric rivers are nothing new: They’re a major source of moisture up and down the West Coast every winter. But climate scientists expect them to grow more powerful, arrive more frequently, and last longer as Earth’s climate keeps warming.

—John Ryan