As flood warnings across the Pacific Northwest recede, Emergency workers have recovered the body of a man in Southwest Washington state whose vehicle was swept away by flooding unleashed by storms that have deluged the Pacific Northwest with rain and snow and closed key roadways across the state.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office said 72-year-old Delbert Pratt was found dead in his vehicle not far from his home in Cosmopolis. Pratt had been missing since Friday morning, when he left his home to move his car to higher ground.
Flood warnings remained in effect in Washington and Oregon on Saturday, and many areas were also dealing with the risk of landslides and avalanches. Some major roads connecting the Seattle area to the rest of the country remained closed.
Southwest Washington experienced its worst flooding in a decade and some rivers crested at more than 18 feet late Thursday, the National Weather Service said. A flood warning was in effect for the northern Oregon Coast.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation on Friday because of severe winter storms going back to Dec. 17. State agencies and local jurisdictions are coordinating resources to address damaged property and infrastructure, assess damage caused by the storms and implement repairs, he said.
In northwest Oregon, coastal flooding after heavy rains disrupted communities. Astoria got more than 4 inches of rain Thursday, breaking a record for rain on that date set in 1914.
