A relentless barrage of storms has submerged entire communities in the US state of Washington, prompting a stark warning from Governor Bob Ferguson about the profound and still unfolding scale of the disaster.

For Kenyans, the scenes of inundated homes and washed-out highways are a familiar, painful echo of our own recent struggles with extreme weather. This crisis, thousands of kilometres away, is not a distant spectacle; it is another clear signal that the global climate is changing, with severe local consequences for families and economies everywhere.

The numbers from Washington paint a grim picture:

• Over 600 rescues have been conducted across ten counties.
• Nearly 0.6 metres (2ft) of rain have fallen in the hardest-hit areas.
• More than 400,000 residents in Washington and neighbouring Oregon were left without power.
• At least one death has been confirmed after a man drove into a flooded area.

Governor Bob Ferguson noted the long-term impact, emphasizing that a key highway, State Route 2, could be closed for months. "We’re in for the long haul," Ferguson stated at a news conference, urging residents to heed evacuation orders without hesitation.

A Long Road to Recovery

As emergency crews wait for the waters to recede, the full economic toll remains uncertain. The state government has made several million dollars available for immediate needs like hotels and groceries. This initial relief, amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings (approx. $5 million is KES 645 million), is just a down payment on the massive federal assistance expected to be required for rebuilding.

The National Weather Service has warned that elevated rivers and flood risks could persist until late this month, with more storms on the horizon. This prolonged state of emergency highlights a shared vulnerability. Just as floods have crippled transport and displaced thousands in Nairobi and the Rift Valley, this event in the US demonstrates that no economy is immune to the destructive power of a destabilized climate.

The final assessment of the damage will take time, but the message is immediate. Governor Ferguson's call for a long-term commitment to recovery in Washington is a sentiment that resonates deeply in Kenya, where communities are continuously forced to rebuild in the face of recurring climate shocks.