AUBURN, Wash. — Hundreds of Auburn residents remain under evacuation orders as water levels continue to rise along the Green River.
The area southeast of 277th and B Streets remains under a level 3 evacuation. Check the latest evacuation alerts here.
On Tuesday evening, King County Emergency News announced that water levels had decreased in parts of Auburn, allowing some evacuation levels to be downgraded.
In the statement, KCEN wrote:
“Water levels have decreased in parts of Auburn, allowing evacuation levels to be downgraded in some areas. Other locations remain under a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation order and are not safe for re-entry.
Level 2 – GET SET (Return with Extreme Caution): Some residents and businesses may return but must remain ready to leave again if conditions change.
Level 3 – GO NOW (Do Not Return): Some areas remain unsafe due to flooding, standing water, and limited access. Re-entry is not permitted.
River and dam conditions remain dynamic, and water levels can rise quickly due to dam releases, rainfall, and levee conditions. All residents—especially those near the Green and White rivers—should stay alert and prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.”
At 11:08 p.m. Tuesday, King County reported that the Green River was in flood phase 3.
"The Green River is in flood phase 3. Moderate flooding is expected in rural lowland areas," wrote King County Flood Alerts. "Urban areas of the Green River Valley are generally protected by the levee system. Be aware that flood conditions can change rapidly."
Since Sunday, more than 100 people under evacuation orders have stayed at the Red Cross shelter set up at the Auburn Community and Events Center. Richendia Evans got the evacuation order on Sunday, immediately leaving home with her family, including five grandchildren and her newest grandchild, who’s just six weeks old.
“Shock, to put it frankly, shock. I was literally in a state of shock,” Evans told KOMO News. “It was rough the first night, but right now they're calm, and they understand the situation. Now they're understanding it better.”
Evans is one of dozens of people staying in the several Red Cross shelters set up across the region.
Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers have flown in from out of state to help with the emergency response, feeding and setting up shelter for those who’ve been displaced by evacuation orders and flooding.
“I think everybody's kind of a bit traumatized,” David Toms, a Red Cross volunteer who flew in from Maryland to help, said. “This is a traumatic event, and people are dealing with this trauma, I think, as best they can. We're providing food and shelter. That's kind of all we can do to help them.”
Meanwhile, the water receded enough at the Copper Gate apartments in Auburn for some residents to come back and take a look at the damage.
“It was raining, and after like one or two days, like this, this area is totally flooded,” Awal Bashar, who was also evacuated Sunday, said. “There was a lot of water.”
Bashar told KOMO News the floodwaters damaged several cars left behind in the parking lot and nearly made it to some first floor apartments, but they’re thankful the damage here isn’t worse. Some areas near the Green River remain under evacuation orders for now.
There are two shelters supporting the communities near Auburn:
The Red Cross is currently operating seven shelters in areas dealing with flooding, including Auburn, Puyallup, Monroe, Mount Vernon, and Concrete. Emergency support services are available 24/7 at those shelters.
You can find the latest shelter information here.
253-534-9596
Service Areas
