2 Dead, Including Man Found 'Entangled' in Branches, as Atmospheric River Hits Pacific Northwest
Parts of the region have received upwards of nine inches of rain since Saturday, with more rain in the forecast this weekend
Snohomish County Sheriff Office
Authorities said area roads have been impacted by the atmospheric river rain event.At least two people have died amid a “Pineapple Express” rain event in the Pacific Northwest that continues to pummel the region, according to authorities.
On Tuesday morning, first responders discovered the body of an adult male “entangled in tree branches” in Bronson Creek, northwest of Portland, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
A day earlier, deputies with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office found the body of a man in Portland’s Johnson Creek, CNN reported.
Since Saturday, atmospheric river flood conditions that have dropped at least nine inches of rain on parts of the Pacific Northwest, per CNN. Flood watches remain in effect through parts of Washington and Oregon through Wednesday evening — with up to another 2 to 4 inches of rain expected.
Snohomish County Sheriff Office
On Tuesday, the rain continued as a stalled cold front kept the moisture streaming over western Washington state, the National Weather Service said.
The flood conditions triggered landslides in parts of the region, resulting in Amtrak suspending service between Portland and Seattle through Thursday morning, the company said.
It’s dark this morning and water over roads is often much deeper than it appears. Please do not attempt to drive through a flooded roadway. Thankfully this driver was safely rescued this morning in Granute Falls. Turn around, don’t drown. ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/krJXnJXwHN
— snocosheriff (@SnoCoSheriff) December 5, 2023
Another landslide on Seattle’s Burke-Gilman Trail closed down a portion of the trail near the Lake City neighborhood on Tuesday, the Seattle Times reported.
Amid the heavy rain on Tuesday, the Coast Guard was able to rescue five people from impacted areas of southwest Washington, according to the Associated Press. One man was saved from the roof of his truck near Rosburg while four people were saved from a house surrounded by 4 feet of water.
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An atmospheric river is like a “river in the sky” that transports water vapor in long, narrow regions of the atmosphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a "Pineapple Express" storm is a type of atmospheric river that transports moisture from the tropics to the northern areas of the planet, which plays an important part in Earth's ocean water cycle.
What makes a Pineapple Express unique is its moisture builds up around Hawaii (a state many may associate with a pineapple) before moving to the coasts of the U.S. and Canada, which can result in heavy rainfall and snow.
Related: 19-Year-Old Dies After Getting 'Trapped' in Landslide While Visiting Minn. State Park with Family
With flooding occurring in many rivers in western Washington, the National Weather Service advised those in the area to use caution.
The forecast for the area includes rain through Thursday, with a brief break before another similar storm system is scheduled to move in early this weekend, CNN reported.
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