Flood warning issued as excessive rainfall breaks river record

A strong atmospheric river is pummeling the Pacific Northwest with significant rainfall, surging water levels at the Yakima River at Easton in Washington state beyond 57 feet on Tuesday morning.

The record river levels come as National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists have issued a slew of flood-related warnings for the Pacific Northwest. The strong storm arrived on Monday, only days after a similar yet weaker system saturated the region over the weekend. Storm total rainfall will surpass a foot in some areas, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Water Center predicting 14 river locations in Washington state to enter major flood stage before the storm moves out of the region.

“Anytime you put this amount of water in the system, it’s going to cause challenges,” National Water Center Director Edward Clark told Newsweek. “Seeing 14 points go to major flood, that’s not an insignificant day in the Pacific Northwest.”

Atmospheric rivers are a “long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The storms brought by atmospheric rivers are known for their heavy snow, heavy rain and strong winds. They more commonly affect the West Coast, particularly during the winter months. Although the storms can bring beneficial snow that helps supplement reservoirs throughout the summer dry season, they can also trigger deadly flooding, mudslides and widespread power outages.

Rain is still pummeling the Pacific Northwest. On Tuesday morning, the Yakima River at Easton reached 57.01 feet, an all-time record for the river. Before this storm, the historic record for water levels at the Yakima River at Easton was when it reached 55.28 feet in 1990.

The river has since fallen to 53.25 feet, but meteorologists anticipate it to crest at 58.02 feet by Tuesday afternoon. Clark said it would take a few days for the river to return to normal levels as long as more rain doesn’t inundate the area.

NWS offices in Washington and Oregon have issued numerous flood warnings related to the storm.

“A prolonged atmospheric river will continue impacting the Pacific Northwest with heavy rainfall which has lead to areas of urban and river flooding along with gusty winds into Thursday,” the NWS said in a Tuesday forecast.

Despite the surge of excessive moisture, Clark said that so far, dams, levies and other infrastructure appear to be holding, with no dam failures reported despite the major flooding.

In addition to heavy rain, strong winds will also pose dangers across the region, threatening power outages and making for difficult travel.