WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Gov. Bob Ferguson and other local leaders took questions in Whatcom County Wednesday afternoon about the flooding impacts and recovery efforts across western Washington.
“This natural disaster is extremely significant,” said Ferguson, “The impact on our infrastructure is profound.”
Three atmospheric rivers slammed the region in the span of a week leading to widespread flooding and damage to the state’s infrastructure.
PHOTOS: Historic floods across western Washington
Ferguson emphasized that while the most severe part of the storms is over, the recovery efforts have just begun across the state.
“We won’t know the full impact until the waters fully recede.”
Highway 2 will be closed “for months” after a portion of the roadway was washed out from flooding. There were also multiple levees that breached around King County, forcing evacuations and prompting emergency repairs.
“I am deeply worried about the state of our infrastructure right now, while we see the water levels that we’re seeing,” said Ferguson, “we are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination.”
Some rivers in the region will not peak until Thursday morning before lowering later on Thursday and into Friday. However, KOMO News Meteorologist George Waldenberger cautioned that some rivers like the White and Green Rivers through Auburn will maintain very high flow rates into next week.
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Ferguson said there are “many people working extremely hard” to monitor the dams, levees, and infrastructure to try and anticipate where there could be problems as we’re still waiting for the water to recede and be able to respond immediately if needed.
On a positive note, Ferguson mentioned new infrastructure, such as the flood wall in Mount Vernon that was installed a few years ago, that helped prevent that downtown area from getting washed out.
“We need more infrastructure,” Ferguson added, saying structures like that flood wall could help other communities that are susceptible to flooding.
Ferguson also spoke about the $3.5 million in emergency funding that has been directed to immediately help Washingtonians, and that longer-term funding will take more time and coordination with the Legislature.
He said he has been in touch with leaders in Washington, D.C. to keep them updated on the current conditions in western Washington.
Another wet weather system is expected to enter the region Thursday bringing more than a half inch of rain again for Tacoma through Everett. With lower snow levels, the region’s river flooding threat won’t be nearly as high, but it will continue to be something to monitor, according to Waldenberger.
Friday and Saturday will be breezy at times with more fleeting showers, but overall not as bad. Sunday is looking to be the wetter of the two weekend days.
