Seattle – Warm rainstorms eased Tuesday after causing mudslides and record flooding in western Washington, killing at least one person and forcing rescues by the National Guard.
The National Weather Service reduced flood forecasts along at least one major river, the Skagit, after rapidly rising rivers caught hundreds of residents by surprise in low-lying areas. Mud and rock slides blocked a number of highways and delayed an Amtrak passenger train.
Flood warnings continued on 19 western Washington rivers. But the weather service said that today and Thursday should be dry before another Pacific weather system brings more rain and wind Friday.
One record fell by nightfall Monday as the flow on the south fork of the Snoqual mie River east of Seattle reached 51,970 cubic feet per second, exceeding the mark of 50,000 cfs set in December 1996. Forecasters said the river flow could reach 69,000 cfs before subsiding.
The Weather Service reported record crests Tuesday on six rivers: the Skykomish River near Gold Bar, the Carbon River near Fairfax, the Snoqualmie River near Carnation, the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River near Arlington, the Cowlitz River at Randle and Packwood, and the Nisqually River near National.
Rainfall records were set across western Washington on Monday, including 8.22 inches at Stampede Pass, breaking an all-time rain record of 7.29 inches set on Nov. 19, 1962.
Records for the date included 3.29 inches at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, breaking the old record of 0.99 set in 1980, and 4.31 inches at Olympia Airport, breaking the old record of 1.74, also set in 1980. A record temperature of 61 degrees was set in Seattle on Monday, beating the 1997 record of 60 degrees, the Weather Service said.
Helicopters and hovercraft were pressed into rescue service as Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a state of emergency Monday for 18 counties. Tens of thousands of schoolchildren got the day off from classes or had to do without bus service.
Storms propelled by air currents from Hawaii, a pattern known as the Pineapple Express, also caused severe flooding in southwest British Columbia, forcing the evacuation of about 200 people in the Fraser River valley near Chilliwack, about 60 miles east of Vancouver.
About 200 elk hunters were evacuated Monday from camps near the Cowlitz River in southwest Washington, Lewis County Sheriff Steven B. Mansfield said. One hunter, Andy McDonald, 20, of Seattle, died when his pickup truck was swept into the Cowlitz.
