Local agencies, national rescue organizations and community groups have rapidly responded to flooding in Washington, providing shelter and resources to victims.

BURLINGTON, Washington, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Residents and emergency crews in towns along the rain-engorged Skagit River in western Washington state braced on Friday for potential levee failures while National Guard troops assisted in evacuations after days of severe flooding in the Pacific Northwest.

A flood evacuation warning along the Yakima and Naches rivers will stay in place into next week because of more rain in the forecast, officials said Friday.

Van Giesen was closed to both eastbound and westbound traffic between South 38th Avenue in West Richland and Highway 240 in Richland by 10:30 p.m. Friday, according to a Washington state Department of Transportation official. Earlier at least one lane of the roadway had been underwater and closed to traffic.

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.

The NWS Pendleton OR released a flood watch at 12:56 p.m. on Sunday valid from Monday 4 a.m. until Wednesday 10 a.m. for Upper Slopes of the Eastern Washington Cascades Crest and Lower Slopes of the Eastern Washington Cascades Crest.

The Skagit River is predicted to crest at more than 47 feet near the town of Concrete, north of Seattle, 15 inches above the threshold for a major flooding event.

The July 4 flood took a human toll, but it also did environmental and ecological damage. Experts say with time and patience, the river can bounce back.