SNOHOMISH, WASHINGTON – A 33-year-old man drowned early Tuesday morning after driving his car onto a flooded road just south of Snohomish, Washington, amid ongoing historic flooding across the state. Authorities said the driver ignored a posted road closure sign and became trapped in at least six feet of water around 1:30 a.m., and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
This marks the first reported death linked to the record flooding that began last week when an atmospheric river brought days of heavy rain, triggering widespread river flooding across western Washington. The threat has escalated as a second atmospheric river strikes the region, causing at least two levee failures in King County. The National Weather Service in Seattle issued a flash flood warning early Tuesday for southwestern King County after officials reported levee breaches along the White River in Pacific. Another levee along the Green River in Tukwila failed Monday, with repair efforts currently underway. No injuries have been reported from the levee breaks. The Snohomish and Skagit rivers are expected to reach moderate to potentially major flood stage by Tuesday night. Last week’s floods forced multiple highway closures, evacuation orders for thousands, and numerous emergency rescues. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a State of Emergency last Wednesday, and President Trump approved the state’s emergency declaration, unlocking FEMA disaster relief funds.