Heavy Rain in King County, Washington

Heavy rain and snow melt on saturated soils caused a landslide in this residential neighborhood, believed to have swept away or buried a man. The slide area is the size of multiple football fields and 15 feet deep.

A strong and persistent upper-level low-pressure system developed over the northern Rockies and southern Canada and then slowly migrated westward while continuously directing the jet stream and primary storm track at Washington State. This strong low-pressure system resulted in a 21-day period of a series of winter storms, wind storms, and atmospheric rivers that battered Washington State in rapid succession. First there was lowland snow the last week of December. Then a wind and rainstorm Jan 3 to 4. That was followed by two atmospheric river events from Jan 5 - 7 and Jan 11- 13 that resulted in heavy rain, minor to major flooding, and landslides. 2 flood fatalities occurred, and possibly a third from a landslide.