An atmospheric river-fuelled storm is soaking Western Washington and other parts of the Pacific Northwest, bringing heavy rain and snowfall that’s resulted in flooding, road closures and emergency evacuations.

A Flood Watch is still in effect as heavy rain continues to pour across western Washington.Many communities are also under Flood Warnings with several inches of

Several exits are closed in Lewis County due to flooding. I-5 exits 72 to Rush Road are closed in both directions, while exit 77 is closed on northbound I-5, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Drivers are urged to avoid the areas and use alternate routes.

Gov. Bob Ferguson on Wednesday held a press briefing to announce he has requested a disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to address widespread

The flood forecasts come as a strong atmospheric river pummels the Pacific Northwest. The storm follows a weaker system that inundated the area over the weekend. Atmospheric rivers are a "long, narrow region in the atmosphere—like rivers in the sky—that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics," according to NOAA.

Heavy rains drenching the Pacific Northwest triggered flooding on Thursday across much of the Pacific Northwest from Oregon north through Washington state and into British Columbia, closing dozens of roads and prompting widespread evacuations.

"Catastrophic" flooding is expected to hit parts of Skagit, Snohomish and King counties as rivers swell and the region is drenched in rain.

Officials say decades of collaboration has done little to meaningfully reduce flood risks in B.C. and Washington State

While the torrential downpour caused by an atmospheric river has slowed down, rivers and waterways continue to rise and flood in the state.