'Catastrophic' Pacific Northwest floods leaves 100,000 facing evacuation

A state of emergency has been declared, and tens of thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes in western Washington after historic rain left rivers at record levels across the state

A state of emergency has been declared, and tens of thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes in western Washington after historic rain left rivers at record levels across the state.

Skagit County has ordered everyone in the Skagit River 100-year floodplain to evacuate to higher ground, as authorities have forecast 18 major floods and 15 moderate floods.

More than 5 million people were under flood alerts Thursday morning, including portions of Montana and a small part of Idaho. Between 10 and 18 inches of rain have fallen over the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges in the last 72 hours.

Gov. Bob Ferguson said late Wednesday, "catastrophic flooding is likely," and, in a statement on social media, said 100,000 people could face evacuation orders. He urged people to heed the authorities' orders and listen to official advice.

A man carries belongings while evacuating in Sultan, Wash., on Wednesday.David Ryder / ReutersThe Skagit River is expected to crest at a record 47 feet in the mountain town of Concrete — the threshold for a major flooding event along the Skagit is 32 feet. Some rivers are expected to reach their highest levels early Thursday.