Parts of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia can’t catch a break. Atmospheric rivers, or plumes of deep tropical moisture, have brought excessive rainfall, flooding and mudslides over the past several weeks. The latest, perhaps the most intense yet, lashed the region with downpours and damaging winds Monday.
The flooding was serious in parts of western Washington, inundating roads, homes and businesses while high winds cut power to more than 170,000 customers.
Some of the affected areas had seen more than three feet of water in the past month pushing river levels to all-time highs. Seattle had already clinched its third-wettest November on record and its wettest autumn on record is close to a lock.
‘Atmospheric river’ causes flooding, mudslides in British Columbia
Thousands of people are under evacuation order in southern British Columbia on Nov. 15 due to major flooding caused by an “atmospheric river.” (Justin Scuiletti/The Washington Post)
British Columbia also got walloped with record rainfall, flooding and high winds. Tens of thousands were without power in the Canadian Province, roads were closed and the city of Merritt, home to more than 7,000 people, was mostly underwater and had been evacuated.
