Residents Flee New Flooding in Northwest : Deluge: Water jumps barricades on two Washington state islands. Gov. Gardner declares emergency in wake of a three-day downpour.

MT. VERNON, Wash. —  Floodwater chewing at dikes forced the evacuation of two islands Sunday, and Gov. Booth Gardner proclaimed a state of emergency in five counties.

Fir Island on the Skagit River was evacuated after a dike gave way, and Ebey Island on the Snohomish River was evacuated when water rushed over a dike.

Hundreds of volunteers joined National Guard and Army Corps of Engineer troops in a battle to save Mt. Vernon’s downtown from the rain-swollen Skagit as the water receded, said Sharon Bumgarner, coordinator for Skagit County emergency management.

Elsewhere, many of more than 600 residents displaced by near-record flood levels on seven northwest Washington rivers were returning home.

Three houses were lost in an isolated resort town and officials said damage to roads, bridges and homes and businesses from flooding Friday and Saturday would run to millions of dollars.

High water, slides and washouts closed many roads and highways, including the Trans Canada Highway north of Hope, British Columbia, about 90 miles east of Vancouver.

No injuries were reported.

The three-day deluge was produced by the “Pineapple Express,” a term National Weather Service forecasters use for a fall storm route from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest.

Gardner proclaimed a state of emergency in Skagit, Whatcom, King, Snohomish and Grays Harbor counties.

“We’re in for some big-time repairs in Whatcom and Skagit counties,” Gardner said after touring by helicopter. “My heart goes out to those families who have seen all that they’ve worked for wash away.”

The emergency proclamation signed by Gardner directs state workers, equipment and money to local governments to help them cope with the flooding.

The western half of Fir Island was under water. Only emergency workers were allowed on the island.

About 150 people were evacuated late Saturday from the island and more left Sunday.

In Mt. Vernon, with a population of about 14,500, 400 to 500 people filled sandbags as the Skagit River crested at 35.2 feet, 7.2 feet over flood stage, Skagit County flood control engineer Dave Brookings said.