Today, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a severe weather state of emergency in Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Lewis, King, Kitsap, Pierce, Mason, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties.
Events leading up to this emergency include a severe wind and rainstorm system that began on Nov. 12, and is forecast to last several days, which is producing extensive flooding in these counties. In addition, a weather pattern that began on Oct. 27, has resulted in saturated soils, which, when combined with the significant precipitation during the event that began on Nov. 12, has created flooding conditions on multiple rivers, and forecast rain along with anticipated rain and snow at mountain elevations are expected to exacerbate flooding conditions.
The severe storm with floods, landslides, mudslides, and the potential for straight-line winds is causing road closures, the need to establish alternate transportation routes, evacuations, impacts to local utility services including significant power outages, localized reductions in available drinking water, and damage to homes and other public and private property and infrastructure. These storms are causing hazardous conditions for the people of Washington, homes, property, businesses, agriculture, transportation systems, and the economy of Washington State.
This severe weather emergency order directs that the plans and procedures to the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan be implemented. State agencies and departments are directed to utilize state resources and to do everything reasonably possible to assist affected political subdivisions in an effort to respond to and recover from the event. Additionally, the Washington State Military Department, Emergency Management Division, with the support of the Washington National Guard available resources, is instructed to coordinate all incident-related assistance to the affected areas.
The order is effective immediately.
Read the full proclamation here.