By Abdullahi Lukman
Washington state is grappling with extensive and unquantified damage after more than a week of heavy rain and record flooding, Governor Bob Ferguson said, warning that high water and flood risks could persist for weeks.
Storm systems moving in from the Pacific dumped nearly 2ft (0.6 metres) of rain in parts of the state, forcing rivers over their banks and triggering large-scale emergency responses.
Authorities reported at least one death, more than 600 rescues across 10 counties and widespread evacuations as communities were inundated and infrastructure damaged.
Power outages affected more than 400,000 residents in southern and eastern Washington and parts of neighbouring Oregon, as strong winds brought down trees and power lines.
Key highways were washed out or buried by debris, including State Route 2, which officials said could take months to reopen.
The National Weather Service warned that additional flooding, mudslides and power outages remain possible, with elevated river levels expected to continue until late in the month.
Wind and flood watches and warnings are in place across much of the north-west as further storms bring rain, heavy mountain snow and high winds.
Emergency officials said at least 629 rescues and 572 assisted evacuations have been carried out so far, with up to 100,000 people placed under evacuation orders at various times, particularly along the Skagit River north of Seattle.
Governor Ferguson urged residents to heed evacuation orders and said damage assessments would only be possible once floodwaters recede and landslide risks decline.
State and local authorities have allocated several million dollars for emergency assistance, while awaiting additional federal support.
