WATCH: Dramatic Air Rescues as Deadly Flooding Engulfs Washington State

the Pacific Northwest, hoisting two people trapped on the roof of a submerged home after floodwaters cut off all escape routes. Video released by the Coast Guard shows rescue swimmers lowering from a hovering helicopter, securing the stranded individuals, and pulling them out of danger before transferring them to a nearby landing zone for urgent medical evaluation.

The flooding, driven by a powerful atmospheric river hammering the region, has affected vast areas from Oregon through Washington and into British Columbia. Drone footage from Snohomish, Washington, shows entire residential blocks surrounded by murky brown water, with streets transformed into rivers and homes isolated by waist-deep flooding. Local rescue teams used inflatable boats to pull residents from inundated neighborhoods, maneuvering through fast-moving currents to reach those unable to evacuate on their own.

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency, warning that river levels are rising faster than earlier projections. Appearing on CNN, he announced that the Skagit River is now expected to crest at historic heights on Friday morning, raising fears of further evacuations and infrastructure damage across the region.

Authorities across western Washington continue to issue flood alerts as rivers and creeks spill over their banks, cutting off critical roadways and pushing tens of thousands to flee low-lying areas. In Canada, the Chilliwack River has also overflowed, forcing the closure of highways and prompting evacuation orders as cross-border flooding escalates into a major regional emergency.