At least two people have died as a result of atmospheric rivers that have inundated Washington state and Oregon with floods in recent days.
A man is believed to have been swept away and drowned in the swollen waters of Johnson Creek in Portland, Oregon on Monday.
The body of a second victim was found Tuesday morning by Washington County sheriff's deputies and firefighters near Bronson Creek in Beaverton, Oregon.
Millions of people were put on a flood warning as the atmospheric event dropped up to 10 inches of rain in some areas in less than 24 hours. Houses and roads were flooded and a landslide tore away a large section of a highway.
Residents have been told to prepare for more chaos as more rain and snowmelt is on the way Saturday and another six inches of rain are forecast in the Pacific Northwest.
At least two people have died as a result of atmospheric rivers that have inundated Washington state and Oregon with flooding in recent days.
Millions of people were put on a flood warning as the atmospheric event dropped up to 10 inches of rain in some areas in less than 24 hours.
Residents have been told to prepare for more chaos as more rain and snowmelt is on the way Saturday and another six inches of rain are forecast in the Pacific Northwest. The significant snowfall pictured has hit the area, with some mountains seeing more than a foot of snow
The strong atmospheric rivers, a warm and wet air mass, have been battering the region for three days.
Several inches of rain on top of melted snow buried homes and roads and caused rivers to rise. In some parts of the mountains, between one and three meters of fresh snow has fallen.
In Oregon, Portland Fire & Rescue believes a man drowned in Johnson Creek after being swept away. The victim's name has not been released.
His body was recovered later that afternoon, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, after a witness reported a man floating on a cushion of lawn furniture as he was swept downstream.
The man's friend, Jeffrey Tristant, told KATU that he was helping homeless campers in the area when he was taken away “in the blink of an eye.”
The Clackamas County Water Rescue Team was dispatched to the area, but after both of their vessels turned around, rescuers determined it was unsafe to continue.
A search and rescue operation turned into a recovery operation before crews finally found the body.
Data showed that the cubic meter of water flowing per second was more than 15 times the normal speed when the man was swept away.
In neighboring Washington County, officials said they were investigating the death Tuesday morning of a man entangled in tree limbs in Bronson Creek, southeast of Hillsboro, the county sheriff's office said in a social media post.
There were no visible signs of injury to the man's body, the sheriff's office said, and authorities are investigating the cause of death.
That victim's name has not been released.
A man is believed to have been swept away and drowned in the swollen waters of Johnson Creek in Portland on Monday
Snow has made conditions difficult in parts of Oregon and Washington as an atmospheric river storms the area
The two deaths occurred amid an aggressive atmospheric river, which dumped several inches of rain in the Pacific Northwest
Authorities were forced to rescue people from raging rivers and roads that were flooded during the storm
The entire town of Silvana, Washington, in Snohomish County was only accessible by boat due to the flooding, and firefighters helped save the town of about 200 residents.
While a dozen homes were flooded in Granite Falls near Stillaguamish and State Route 503 was closed in both directions due to a landslide.
The flooding tore away a large section of pavement, creating a hollow space under the road.
Highway 503 in Washington state was closed in both directions due to a landslide. The flooding tore away a large section of pavement, creating a hollow space under the road
The entire town of Silvana, Wsahington, in Snohomish County was only accessible by boat due to the flooding, and firefighters helped save the town of about 200 residents.
The US Coast Guard rescued five people by helicopter from flooded areas on Tuesday
The US Coast Guard rescued five people by helicopter from flooded areas on Tuesday. The conditions also closed rail links, schools and roads in some areas and shattered daily rainfall and temperature records in Washington state.
Atmospheric rivers, known as the “Pineapple Express” because the long and narrow bands of water vapor transport warm subtropical moisture, brought huge amounts of rain and snow to California last winter.
Flood warnings continued to blanket areas from Seattle to Portland as another storm emerged Wednesday evening.
Another weather system is forecast to move into Washington and Oregon on Saturday, bringing more rain to the coast and heavy snow to the mountains.
An additional six inches of rainfall on top of the snowmelt is forecast for the Pacific Northwest.
