SEATTLE  - Residents throughout Western Washington awoke Wednesday morning to the mess left behind the heavy storms that moved through the area.

The National Weather Service says rivers are receding, but flood warnings remain in effect for many rivers. They include the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Stillaguamish, Skagit, Cowlitz, Chehalis, Cedar, Puyallup. Forecasters say the Chehalis will crest this morning in Lewis and Thurston counties and in Grays Harbor County tonight.

Rainstorms eased Tuesday, but record flooding continued in Western Washington, changing the course of the Cowlitz River at Packwood, south of Mount Rainier, and forcing rescues in Skagit and Lewis counties.

Flood warnings were posted Tuesday on 19 Western Washington rivers, with six rivers already reaching record crests - the Skykomish River near Gold Bar, the Carbon River near Fairfax, the Snoqualmie River near Carnation, the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River near Arlington, the Cowlitz River at Randle and Packwood, and the Nisqually River near National - the Weather Service reported Tuesday.

In Lewis County, flooding changed the course of the Cowlitz River at Packwood. Deputy Stacy Brown said 300 homes are threatened with flooding and residents of the High Valley area have been ordered to evacuate.

All roads into Packwood were closed by mudslides and flooding, which made rescues more difficult, Brown said.

About 19 households had called for rescue in the Randle area, where the Cowlitz River was rising past 24.45 feet, well above the 18-foot flood level, she said.

"The people that we told to evacuate yesterday are staying and now we are risking our rescue personnel," said Brown, who was expecting assistance Tuesday from a helicopter and National Guard troops.

Mount Rainier National Park has been closed to the public after receiving more than 17 inches of rain in the past two days. Most major roads in the park have been affected and the Sunshine Point campground has been wiped out. Employees are expected to begin with cleanup operations Wednesday.

State of emergency

Gov. Chris Gregoire, who declared a state of emergency for 18 counties, flew over affected areas in a helicopter Tuesday.

"I feel very, very positive about what's going on here in Skagit County," the governor said during a stop in Mount Vernon. "People here know when to call for help and when not to... it's worked exactly as it should - federal, state and local."

She said she'd heard from both the state's U.S. senators and other members of the congressional delegation. "Everybody's standing ready to help us," she said.

Cresting at 39.77 feet at Concrete early Tuesday, the Skagit River did not go as high as it did during the last big flood, in 2003, officials said. But the total impact, which won't be known for days, could be comparable to that year, when flooding caused $17 million in property damage in Concrete and 3,4000 households were evacuated, said county spokesman Don McKeehen. Flood stage on the Skagit River at Concrete and Mount Vernon is 28 feet.

Meanwhile, the Puyallup River is expected to be impacted by the release of water from Mud Mountain Dam within the next 12 hours. Effects may occur at any time. The city strongly urges residents along the Puyallup River to voluntarily evacuate and secure their properties.

In Mount Vernon, after hundred of volunteers worked through the night, the 1,400-foot sandbag wall was finally completed. The Skagit River crested Tuesday afternoon.

Roads in and out of Carnation have been closed due to the flooding situation. Some of the residents in Gold Bar and Sultan were forced to leave their homes and high flood waters washed out roads, cutting off all access to Carnation. With the exception of four people who refuse to leave, the town of Hamilton is nearly completely evacuated.

At Preston, the Raging River caused a shutdown of the Upper Preston Road Bridge, just off I-90. The abutment at one end was washed out by the river. One nearby resident described the slide as a big "explosion." No one is allowed to drive, or walk across the bridge. It's not known when it will reopen.

KING

One pig in Snoqualmie Valley resists being rescued.

The National Weather Service added a flood warning for the Nisqually River in central Thurston County and west central Pierce County. Additional rainfall and water coming down the river will drive the Lower Nisqually River above bankfull and flood areas below La Grande Dam and McKenna down to the mouth.

It reduced flood forecasts along at least one major river, the Skagit, after rapidly rising rivers caught hundreds of residents by surprise in low-lying areas. Mud and rock slides blocked a number of highways and delayed an Amtrak passenger train.

Tens of thousands of schoolchildren got the day off from classes or faces loss of bus service.

Stampede Pass in the Cascades east of Seattle had more than 8 inches of rain in a 24-hour period ending Monday afternoon, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport recorded nearly 4 inches.

Rainstorms propelled by air currents from Hawaii, a pattern known as the Pineapple Express, also caused severe flooding in southwest British Columbia, forcing the evacuation of about 200 people in the Fraser River valley near Chilliwack, about 60 miles east of Vancouver.

Michelle Matchett

A house floats down the Cowlitz river.

The weather service said the steady drenching should change to rain showers by Tuesday afternoon, with Wednesday and Thursday dry before another Pacific weather system brings more rain and wind on Friday.

Rainfall records were set Monday across Western Washington, including 8.22 inches at Stampede Pass, which broke an all-time rain record of 7.29 inches set on Nov. 19, 1962.

Emergency shelters & hotline

King County has the following emergency shelters open: The Renton shelter is operating at the Highlands Neighborhoods Center, Tel. 425-766-6159, the Bellevue shelter is at the South Bellevue Community Center, Tel. 425-452-4412, the Kent shelter is at St. James Episcopal Church, Tel. 253-852-4450, the Issaquah shelter is at the Issaquah Community Center, Tel. 425-837-3180, and the Duvall shelter is at Cedarcrest High School in Duvall.

King County Office of Emergency Management has established a damage hotline for all residents of geographic King County to report their losses. Residents should report disaster damage to the King County Emergency Coordination Center at 1-800-523-5044 from 8a.m. - 5 p.m., beginning Wednesday, November 8.

Four emergency Red Cross shelter are open in Snohomish County for anyone seeking refuge from flooded areas in Western Washington.  Locations are: Granite Falls Middle School in Granite Falls, Monroe First Congregational Church in Monroe, Stanwood High School gymnasium in Stanwood, and Trinity Episcopal Church in Everett.

In Skagit County, the American Red Cross has opened shelters at the Hamilton Baptist Church, the Concrete Catholic Church, and the Sedro Woolley High School.

Rescues and close calls

Amid earlier warnings of record flooding, more than a dozen National Guard personnel were sent late Monday to rescue an unknown number of people in Skagit County, and another 150 troops were expected Tuesday, county spokesman Don McKeehen said.

Those being had disregarded a recommendation to leave before waters blocked their escape route from small towns near Concrete, just west of the Cascade foothills in the central part of the county, McKeehen said.

In North Bend, about 30 miles east of Seattle, the Snoqualmie River slopped over a levee, prompting an urgent call for residents of two neighborhoods to evacuate, King County spokesman David Tushin said Monday night. He could not estimate how many people were affected.

Andy Boos

Raging floodwaters in the Cascade Mountains pour down Stevens Pass.

About 200 to 225 elk hunters were evacuated Monday from camps near the Cowlitz River in southwest Washington, Lewis County Sheriff Steven B. Mansfield said. One hunter, Andy McDonald, 20, of Seattle, died when his pickup truck was swept into the Cowlitz. His body was recovered late Monday.

More than 100 students at an environmental camp in southwest Washington were evacuated for fear that the would be cut off by high water.

More than 80 people were rescued from flooding in Snohomish County, north of Seattle, including several transients were taken to safety by a sheriff's helicopter after they were stranded on a sandbar where they had been camping.

The Herald of Everett reported that Chris Johnson, 37, tried to rescue two neighbors, Pauline Lindsey, 59, and Carl Gott, 65, floodwaters from the South Fork Stillaguamish River surrounded their home, but his dinghy was hit by a log in the swift current and began sinking.

Ike Salter

Telephone employee Ike Salter took this shot while trying to restore service in the Snoqualmie Valley.

Johnson wound up stranded in a nearby vacant home, also surrounded by water, and all three — as well as the older couple's two dogs and two cats — were rescued Monday afternoon by county crews using a hovercraft after efforts with a boat and kayak failed.

Upstream along the Stillaguamish, whole trees swirled in the turbulent current.

"I've never seen this much debris come down," state fish and wildlife Officer Richard Oosterwyk said. "It looks like a doggone forest."

Livestock were being evacuated as well, in many cases to the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. Manager Mark Campbell said the fairgrounds had more than 400 stalls, as well as outdoor pens and a fenced-in auto racetrack that also could be pressed into service for animals.

Boats also were enlisted to search for and rescue stranded people in eastern Lewis County, Deputy Sheriff Stacy Brown told The Seattle Times.

"It can be pretty hairy, especially in the dark," Brown said. "We're not sure how many people are still out there."

Evacuations also were reported in Puyallup, Orting and other areas east of Tacoma.

KING

A dog is rescued from flooding in Washington state.

A large mudslide near Skykomish, northeast of Seattle, blocked eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 2, the state's second most heavily traveled east-west artery, and a mudslide earlier Monday near Tacoma delayed an Amtrak passenger train.

Tuesday evening, Highway 9 near the Snohomish airport was shut down due to flooding. Several cars were stranded.

Officials at Mount Rainier National Park, which had more than 10 inches of rain in the 24 hours ending Monday afternoon, closed the main park road, turned away visitors and sent employees home early via the only road open.

"We want to prevent visitors getting trapped inside the park," Superintendent David V. Uberuaga said. "The road is vulnerable to washouts in several key places, and there is only one way out."

Ensure safety and use caution

Keep a battery-powered radio tuned to a local station.

Follow all emergency instructions.

Do not walk or wade in flooded areas.

Be prepared to evacuate.

If advised to evacuate, do so immediately. Evacuation is much simpler and safer before flood waters become too deep for ordinary vehicles to drive through.

Be aware that pets are not allowed in shelters; make other arrangements for your pets.

Do not drive where water is over the road or past barricaded road signs.

If your car stalls in a flooded area, abandon it as soon as possible and walk to safety in the direction you came from.

Follow recommended evacuation routes, as shortcuts may be blocked.

If you are caught in your building by rapidly rising waters, call 911 for help, then move to a higher floor or to the roof. Take warm, weatherproof clothing, a flashlight, a cellular phone and a portable radio.