Evacuations ordered in Pacific as White River levee fails

Residents in the town of Pacific have been ordered to evacuate now due to a levee failure on the White River.

If you find yourself in low-lying areas along the river, you should move to higher ground immediately.

The evacuation zone extends from Ellingson Road, past Third Avenue and along the White River to County Line Road SW.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, at least 70 personnel from various agencies were going door to door to evacuate people in the affected area.

Deputies say they have received numerous calls for help since they were first activated at 2:30 a.m., and currents are moving quickly in the floodwaters.

According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, more than 300 people were evacuated by the KCSO Marine Unit. These residents were awakened by the task force and told to leave.

KCSO confirmed that about two dozen people were rescued, meaning task force members transported those people because they couldn’t get out themselves.

The water first came up to the ankles, then quickly rose to the chest in some places.

KCSO is pleading with people to stay home and stay off roads and highways if possible. They say they are experiencing major problems due to heavy traffic, which is delaying their response time to get to people in need on time.

The leak was first identified at 12:08 a.m. Tuesday, and emergency crews quickly sounded the alert.

According to the teams on site, the rupture is 40 to 50 feet.

Around 1:40 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning in case the White River levee failed.

The King County Sheriff’s Guardian One helicopter could be seen flying over neighborhoods Tuesday morning, telling people to “evacuate, get out now.”

KIRO 7’s Brooke Griffin was on scene this morning, reporting that there are a lot of homes and apartment buildings in this highly residential area.

Rescue teams and community members were also on scene with large trucks, helping to evacuate people from affected areas.

California Task Force rescue teams from Menlow Park, Sacramento and Oakland were among the emergency crews going door to door to make sure everyone was out and safe.

Officials say repairs, including placing giant sandbags in the breach, will take several hours.

Authorities say they have been monitoring this area and the HESCOS (barriers used to control flooding) 24/7 for the past week. Just hours before the break, the City of Pacific said crews were working to strengthen HESCOS.

The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working to stabilize water flow and reported that Seattle District personnel are on the ground working with King County officials to assess the damage and determine next steps. USACE says it will deploy HESCOs, sandbags and super bags for direct assistance.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office confirmed its swift water rescue teams participated in at least one rescue at the Megan’s Court Apartments near Pacific Avenue South and Third Avenue. No one was injured during the rescue, deputies confirmed.

Around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday, Pacific Police said there was no estimate of when the evacuation order would be downgraded or lifted.

Shelters and resources

Several locations are open as warming and staging stations for evacuated residents.

• Auburn Community and Event Center is open with Red Cross resources available

• The Filipino American community of Puget Sound in Algona also offers a warm place to go

• Alpac Primary School is open for evacuation, their parking is available and they will have open toilets

• Sandbags are available at 224 County Line Road

Municipal offices are closed today for their usual activities.

Visit the City of Pacific Facebook page and website for gathering locations and more information.

For more information, the King County Emergency Blog is available at kcemergency.com

KIRO 7 is live from this area today. We will continue to update this story with any new developments.