PACIFIC, Wash. — Hundreds of residents were forced from their homes early Tuesday after a levee failed in Pacific, triggering emergency evacuations and leaving at least 220 residences affected, city officials said.
The failure happened around 2 a.m., when residents began receiving urgent alerts on their phones warning them to leave immediately.
What was first noticed as a small amount of water quickly became widespread flooding in parts of the city, particularly near 3rd Avenue and Spencer Court, where a HESCO barrier failed.
Many residents woke up to water moving into their yards and homes, giving them little time to gather belongings before leaving.
Neighbors helped one another reach higher ground as water levels continued to rise.
Arturo Romero said he was jolted awake by his brother just after 2 a.m. as water began creeping into their backyard.
“Pretty much got woken up at something like two in the morning by my brother telling me there’s water coming up from the backyard little by little,” Romero said. “By then kinda scrambled make sense of the whole situation.”
Pacific Mayor Kave said the city had been working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and regional partners in an effort to prevent a failure, but conditions changed quickly overnight.
“I was notified at 1:30 this morning about the HESCO failure at 3rd and Spencer Court,” the mayor said during a public briefing.
What began as a trickle, observed by an overnight spotter, escalated into a failure involving multiple HESCO units.
Pacific police officers and the Valley Regional Fire Authority went door to door advising residents to leave immediately.
The mayor said responders were sometimes moving through waist-deep water.
The King County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Guardian One was also used to broadcast Level 3 evacuation orders from the air.
City staff opened the first shelter space by 1:45 a.m., according to officials, and the city’s Emergency Operations Center was reopened as the response expanded.
Katie Garberding, a member of the Pacific City Council, was among those personally impacted by the flooding.
Despite dealing with water at her own home, she went to the Pacific Senior Center to help feed evacuees.
“We got the alarm on the phones saying get out now,” Garberding said. “Well we originally took the cars out of the driveway and put them across the street because it was starting to flood the house and then five minutes later we went out to the car and it was a foot deep in water.”
Evacuees gathered at shelter locations across the city, including the Senior Center, where volunteers and partner agencies provided food, blankets and basic supplies.
Andrew Good, who brought his harmonica with him, said he was grateful for the guidance and help available.
“We don’t have any water now but we’re following the advisement of KIRO and everybody else,” Good said.
He praised those responding to the emergency, adding, “they’re protecting us good folks. They’re out there in the rain and wind they’re just – nothing but heroism.”
City officials said 220 residences were affected, and that number translates into several hundred people who now need temporary housing and assistance.
The mayor said residents will not be allowed to return to affected areas Tuesday night and should plan to stay elsewhere for the next few days.
At this point, officials said it is not known when evacuation orders will be lifted.
The city is working to lower water levels near the breached barrier, which has allowed crews to safely reach the base of the HESCO wall and begin repair work.
Officials stressed that people should stay away from flooded areas, saying onlookers are slowing down heavy equipment and repair crews that need room to work.
Pacific has received help from neighboring cities including Auburn, Sumner, Algona, Bonney Lake and Federal Way, as well as King and Pierce counties, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and volunteers.
According to the mayor, partners have delivered food, blankets, diapers, sandbags, heavy equipment and trucks.
City officials said resources, including information from the Red Cross, will be shared through the city’s website and social media channels.
Shelter space remains available for residents who need it.
The city’s immediate priorities, officials said, are stopping further damage, repairing the HESCO wall and reinforcing barriers ahead of expected higher water flows in the coming days due to ongoing weather conditions and continued water releases from Mud Mountain Dam.
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