The federal government and earthquake experts blamed a technical glitch for the alert that sent warnings hundreds of miles away last week.

© Emily Najera for The New York Times

Gov. Bob Ferguson and other state officials cautioned that more rainfall was expected after rivers hit record flood levels across the region, while residents worried about the long-term future.

© Grant Hindsley for The New York Times

Just as this week’s floodwaters in the Pacific Northwest begin to recede, forecasters warn, another storm will approach the West Coast.

© The New York Times

Days of heavy rain pushed waterways to record flood levels in a mountainous region north of Seattle. “Do not wait,” local officials warned residents, urging them to seek higher ground.

© Erika Schultz/The Seattle Times, via Associated Press

Heavy rain across the Pacific Northwest sent rivers toward record heights, putting thousands at risk in Washington and British Columbia.