Thousands under evacuation orders in Washington as rivers crest

Jake Goldstien-Street

(Washington State Standard) Washington state awaits an answer on its request for federal aid as it deals with unprecedented river flooding from days of heavy rain.

There were no known fatalities due to the storms or flooding as of midday Thursday, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson. And officials say it is too soon to fully gauge the damage. But thousands of people have been told to move to higher ground to escape rising floodwaters, roads are closed around the state and there are concerns about whether levees and dikes will hold.

Floodwaters were expected to crest along many rivers Thursday into Friday.

At a press conference Thursday in Mount Vernon, Ferguson noted he met with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials Wednesday afternoon, shortly after submitting