Water receding, but flood warnings remain for North Sound

Water is beginning to recede around swollen rivers, but people in valleys across Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish counties are still wading through muck.

Officials estimate that roughly 500 people have been displaced over flooding in Whatcom County, 280 of whom are currently spread across three new shelters stood up on Tuesday. Moving forward, it could be days before many residents will be able to even get to their properties to assess damage.

The National Weather Service reports that a flood warning has been extended through Thursday for the Skagit River near Mount Vernon and near Concrete affecting Skagit County. The NWS says dams on the river were able to absorb a large amount of the flood, but reservoirs are near maximum pool levels. As that water is released, recession of river levels downstream will slow.

A flood warning is also in effect through Wednesday night for the Nooksack River at Ferndale and North Cedarville affecting Whatcom County. The NWS says deep and fast water will inundate residential area, farm lands, and roads especially on the Lummi Peninsula and in Sumas.

Forecasters are also keeping close watch on the Snohomish River through Snohomish and Monroe, and the Samish River in Burlington.

Check river forecasts here.

Heavy rain also increased the chances for dangerous landslides. The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management says tilted trees, cracks in the ground, and sunken roads are all signs of a potential slide. You can check the county’s interactive map to learn more about slide risk areas.

This wild weather is making our soils soggier, increasing the risk of landslides all around Washington. Watch out for these warning signs of a possible landslide.

— Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (@waDNR) November 15, 2021

Classes are already canceled on Wednesday for the Mount Vernon School District and Burlington-Edison Public Schools. Several districts in the area were closed on Tuesday.

Check school closures and delays here

Residents in both Mount Vernon and Ferndale were ordered on Tuesday to evacuate as levees and dikes were suspected of breaking or breaching. People in Mount Vernon were allowed to return home once it was deemed safe.

Areas of Ferndale are still under evacuation notice for fear of the Nooksack River breaching a levee.

Ferndale evacuation map here

In Mount Vernon, the mayor declared a civil emergency. The city of Mount Vernon and the American Red Cross have teamed up to offer shelter at Bethany Covenant Church on South 18th Street. It’s open for anyone needing a safe place to stay during the flood.

Bellingham, Ferndale, and Sumas were also hit hard Monday with devastating flooding and landslides, including parts of I-5 that have been shut down. I-5 in both directions through Ferndale (Main St) is open, according to the state patrol. Further south on I-5 northbound just north of Nulle Road in Bellingham (MP 245), a mudslide had blocked all lanes. As of late Tuesday, all lanes are open. There will be work left to complete this week that may require taking a lane.

OPEN: With extended thanks to @wsdot crews for their hard work, to public for their patience & our partner agencies we just got word that all I-5 NB at Nulle Road are OPEN. We have some work to finish this week, and that may require taking a lane but for now we 👏Travel safely! https://t.co/s1RJDrHKd4

— WSDOT North (@wsdot_north) November 17, 2021

Crews are hard at work to clear northbound I-5 in Bellingham. Remember to give space to emergency crews and please do NOT go around road closure signs. They are there for YOUR safety! pic.twitter.com/1AO8vUHYZg

— WSDOT North (@wsdot_north) November 16, 2021

Follow the City of Bellingham on Twitter for latest road closures.

Flooding in northeast Whatcom County displaced some 500 people, primarily in the communities of Everson and Sumas. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office says three emergency shelters were opened to take care of those who have been flooded out of their homes.

Sumas Mayor Kyle Christensen told KIRO Radio that roughly 75% of the town’s homes suffered water damage from flooding, with many areas almost completely underwater.

For drivers, now is not a good time to drive across Skagit or Whatcom counties if you don’t need to do so. Washington State Patrol troopers say that dispatchers in the area are getting a large amount of 911 calls asking about the status of closed roads and detours.

Whatcom County Road Closures
Skagit County Road Closures
King County Road Closures
Snohomish County Road Closures

Tens of thousands of people are still in the dark after powerful wind gusts from Monday’s storm. A majority of the outages are in Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties. Just under 15,000 Puget Sound Energy customers are without power as of Wednesday morning.

Puget Sound Energy Outage Map
Seattle City Light
Snohomish County PUD Outage Map

On Monday evening, Governor Jay Inslee declared a severe weather state of emergency for every county in Northwest Washington, which was effective immediately. The order directs that the plans and procedures to the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan be implemented.

Under the order, state agencies and departments are directed to use state resources and “to do everything reasonably possible to assist affected political subdivisions in an effort to respond to and recover from the event.” The Washington State Military Department, Emergency Management Division, and the Washington National Guard will also coordinate incident-related assistance.

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