Washington state is under a state of emergency from a barrage of torrential rain that's sent rivers flowing over their banks, caused a mudslide to crash down on a highway and trapped people in floodwaters.

Residents of western Washington state began packing up and fleeing rising rivers as heavy rain causes rivers to rise.

The first of a series of powerful storms is dumping heavy rain and swelling rivers in the Pacific Northwest, closing roads and prompting high water rescues.