Scenes of homes and main roads submerged in massive floods that swept the US state of Washington

Weather of Arabia - Severe floods swept some parts of the US state of Washington after heavy rains in the region during the past two days caused the melting of snow and the flooding of the Chehalis River, which closed a highway and prompted the authorities to issue evacuation orders to residents in several counties.

A man in Washington state is believed to have died on Friday after his car was swept away by floodwaters, officials said. Grays Harbor police said the 72-year-old went out in Cosmopolis, west of Washington, on Friday morning to take his car to higher ground and did not return.

Rising waters from the Chehalis River and landslides shut down highways in southwest Washington, and images from western Washington showed water reaching the roofs of vehicles with stranded passengers standing on top of them.

Melting snow from the mountains has exacerbated the amount of water in low-lying areas, and tides have caused coastal flooding, said Mary Botwin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Friday issued an emergency declaration due to winter storms dating back to December 17, which brought heavy rain and snow.