Heavy Rain and Floods Devastate Pacific Northwest as Powerful Storms Bring Chaos
A powerful storm system known as an atmospheric river has brought relentless rain to the Pacific northwest, causing widespread flooding, road closures, and power outages. The region's rivers are swelling at an alarming rate, prompting emergency responders to launch high-water rescues in multiple states.
The storms have dumped heavy rainfall across western Washington and northwestern Oregon, with some areas receiving over a foot of snow in the northern Rockies and northwestern Wyoming. Residents are struggling to cope with the chaos, with many reporting power outages, flooding, and school closures.
Firefighters in the Seattle area have conducted several rescues using inflatable kayaks to pull people from stranded cars, while others were carried to safety by emergency responders after becoming trapped in wooded areas by rising water.
Experts warn that the worst is yet to come, with major rivers expected to crest later in the week. "We're starting to see a lot of rivers begin to rise and move very rapidly with lots of runoff with the rain," said Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Seattle office.
Rademacher described the atmospheric river as a "jet stream of moisture" stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the coast of Oregon and Washington. Another storm system is expected to bring more rain to the region starting Sunday, with a pattern looking "pretty unsettled going up to the holidays."
Meanwhile, an arctic blast is affecting parts of south-east Alaska, bringing extremely cold wind chills, including as low as -50F (-45.6C) in Skagway.
The storms are also causing disruptions elsewhere, including a fast-moving storm moving eastward across the upper midwest that will bring freezing rain, high winds, and heavy snow to parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and the Dakotas. The region's roads are becoming increasingly treacherous, with many schools closing or moving to virtual lessons due to weather conditions.
As the situation continues to unfold, residents in the affected areas are advised to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
A powerful storm system known as an atmospheric river has brought relentless rain to the Pacific northwest, causing widespread flooding, road closures, and power outages. The region's rivers are swelling at an alarming rate, prompting emergency responders to launch high-water rescues in multiple states.
The storms have dumped heavy rainfall across western Washington and northwestern Oregon, with some areas receiving over a foot of snow in the northern Rockies and northwestern Wyoming. Residents are struggling to cope with the chaos, with many reporting power outages, flooding, and school closures.
Firefighters in the Seattle area have conducted several rescues using inflatable kayaks to pull people from stranded cars, while others were carried to safety by emergency responders after becoming trapped in wooded areas by rising water.
Experts warn that the worst is yet to come, with major rivers expected to crest later in the week. "We're starting to see a lot of rivers begin to rise and move very rapidly with lots of runoff with the rain," said Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Seattle office.
Rademacher described the atmospheric river as a "jet stream of moisture" stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the coast of Oregon and Washington. Another storm system is expected to bring more rain to the region starting Sunday, with a pattern looking "pretty unsettled going up to the holidays."
Meanwhile, an arctic blast is affecting parts of south-east Alaska, bringing extremely cold wind chills, including as low as -50F (-45.6C) in Skagway.
The storms are also causing disruptions elsewhere, including a fast-moving storm moving eastward across the upper midwest that will bring freezing rain, high winds, and heavy snow to parts of Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and the Dakotas. The region's roads are becoming increasingly treacherous, with many schools closing or moving to virtual lessons due to weather conditions.
As the situation continues to unfold, residents in the affected areas are advised to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure their safety.
. Anyway, back to this crazy storm news... seriously though, Pacific Northwest is getting absolutely hammered with that atmospheric river thingy! 
1ft of snow in the Rockies and northwestern Wyoming? That's just wild. And on top of that, residents are dealing with road closures, power outages, and school closures... it's like they're stuck in a bad horror movie 
. Firefighters had to use inflatable kayaks to rescue people stranded in cars - what even is that?! 
. I'm glad the experts are warning about the worst still to come, at least we know what to expect now 
. On a completely unrelated note, has anyone else noticed how slow the comments section is today? 
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. I mean, who needs that much water at one time? It's like the whole region is one giant bathtub overflowing 
. I feel for those people trapped in their cars or stuck in flooded areas - my heart goes out to them 
. And don't even get me started on the cold arctic blast hitting south-east Alaska 
. Anyway, experts are saying more rain is on the way, so folks gotta stay safe and prepared for this wild weather ride 
#PacificNorthwestWeather #StormSurge #SafetyFirst
! I feel for everyone stuck at home with no power and flooded out. The pics of stranded cars in waist-deep water are just crazy 
. The thought of -50F in Alaska is just ridiculous 
. Like, I was just watching a video of people trying to escape flooded streets with inflatable kayaks... it's mental 
. The rain is just pouring down everywhere and the snow in the Rockies is insane 
Ugh, this storm system is just insane! I'm living vicariously through my friends who are stuck in the Pacific Northwest rn 
The rain is pouring down so hard, it's hard to believe how quickly the rivers are rising. And don't even get me started on those arctic winds in south-east Alaska 
I'm glad emergency responders are doing everything they can to help people get to safety, but honestly, it's just really sad to see everyone struggling. Stay safe out there, Pacific Northwest! 
Can't even go to school or work today... who needs that much rain? 
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The weather just seems to be getting more unpredictable by the minute. And oh man, -50F?! That's like, super cold 
. I'm just glad that emergency responders are out there helping people in need. Fingers crossed that the situation gets better soon! 
I feel so bad for those people in the Pacific Northwest right now... it's like they're going through a lot of trouble. I mean, a foot of snow in just one day? That's crazy! 
seriously though, i hope everyone stays safe and gets through this tough time.
they r goin thru so much w/ these storms...it's like dey r gettin hit from both sides - heavy rain n flooding n power outages n school closures...and it's not over yet! experts say major rivers r expected 2 crest later this wk, which means things cld get even worse. 
rather than judgin 'em or thinkin dey "shoulda" b prepared better. ppl r doin thair best w/ what dey got, n dat's all we can ask 4.
but i guess its a reminder of how crazy weather cld be...anywayz, lets just hope everyone stays safe & dry out there 
. But hey, at least the firefighters are getting some good Instagram shots out of it 
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meanwhile the arctic blast in Alaska is COLD 
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they're saying more rain is coming this weekend? that's just not what we need right now. can't even imagine how hard it must be for ppl living in those areas, stranded or stuck in flooded roads 
that's insane! and arctic blast in alaska? like, super cold wind chills 
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and I'm still buzzing about that sunset... it was literally breathtaking 
. Have you ever noticed how light can change everything? It's like, one minute it's all golden and peaceful, and the next, the whole sky is a deep shade of pink 
. Anyway, back to this stormy weather... I'm so over rain 
. I feel bad for everyone stuck in the middle of this chaos 
. The rescues are being super heroic 
, but also kinda terrifying 
. And poor Alaska! -50F is just crazy cold