Heavy rains have swept through the western Washington state, flooding roads and farmlands, triggering power outages, and forcing school closures across the region, as forecasters warn worse weather could be on the way.
A powerful atmospheric river has already dumped days of heavy rain on the U.S. state, impacting numerous local areas and hampering traffic. After a short break in the weather on Tuesday, a second round is now moving in, as forecasters have warned that the worst may still lie ahead.
Several rivers are projected to reach or approach historic flood levels between Wednesday and Thursday. Local authorities have also cautioned that the incoming rain could trigger landslides, topple trees, and bring down power lines across affected communities.
Many motorists have already felt the disruption, with floodwaters cutting off many routes.
"There won't be any car going through here in another two hours," said a local resident named Hinzman.
"It's not good. You shouldn't be driving through any of them because the current -- you can see the current -- it's running pretty strong. It's going to get a lot stronger as the river rises," he added.
Residents have been urged to avoid driving through flooded areas, while the rising waters have prompted farmers near riverbanks to move livestock and equipment indoors, as many locals continues to closely monitor water levels.
"I heard the river's cresting in about an hour, which means it should be at its highest peak. And we're just seeing where the water is, seeing what roads might be closed," said another resident called Norton.
Washington state hit by heavy rain, flooding as forecasters warn worst yet to come
Washington state hit by heavy rain, flooding as forecasters warn worst yet to come
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have reaffirmed that they will not seek normalization of ties with Israel, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the two countries to join the Abraham Accords.
Saudi Arabia's position on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged, a Saudi source told Al Arabiya TV on Monday.
The source affirmed the need for "an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state".
The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Muslim-majority and regional countries to normalize relations with Israel and join the Abraham Accords before the U.S. reaches a peace agreement with Iran.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said it would not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan will not join any agreement to normalize ties with Israel, adding that the country will not accept any deal that "conflicts with its fundamental ideologies".
Trump on Monday urged Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan -- countries involved in mediating U.S.-Iran talks -- to immediately join the Abraham Accords, warning that otherwise they should not participate in the mediation.
He added that if a U.S.-Iran deal is reached, Iran should also join the agreement.
The Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States in 2020 during Trump's first term, were established between the Israeli government and Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, aimed at rapidly advancing the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries.
Before the outbreak of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, the United States had been pushing for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
After the conflict erupted, Saudi Arabia suspended normalization talks with Israel.
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan reject Trump's Abraham Accords demand
