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Pacific City Evacuates as White River Levee Breaches
16 Dec
Summary
- HESCOS barriers on the White River failed, prompting an evacuation notice.
- This event follows a previous breach in the Desimone Levee on the Green River.
- An additional atmospheric river is predicted to bring more rain and winds.
Overnight, a Flash Flood Warning was issued for King County, Washington, following the failure of a levee on the White River in Pacific City. The National Weather Service confirmed the breach, which affected HESCOS barriers designed to prevent flooding, and announced an immediate evacuation notice for the city. This critical situation developed just days after historic flooding inundated parts of the state due to a breach in the Desimone Levee on the Green River.
Floodwaters from the Green River's breach had previously threatened Interstate 405 and surrounding neighborhoods, prompting urgent "GO NOW" evacuation orders for areas including Orillia, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, and Auburn. While initial reports indicated flooding was confined to industrial zones, authorities warned of rapidly deteriorating and dangerous conditions for tens of thousands of people.
