INTERNATIONAL: As heavy rains and rising temperatures in the Pacific Northwest caused rivers to swell and lowlands to flood, a University of Washington climate scientist has warned that people need to expect the unexpected and push policy-makers to develop solutions and systems that address both immediate and long-term needs regarding climate change.

Imagine the unimaginable. University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group senior scientist, Dr. Meade Krosby, has made these comments after all highways in and out of Seattle, home to over 750,000 people, were flooded, causing the city to be completed isolated from the rest of the country by road.

Dr. Krosby has said while the sudden downpour of rain triggered snowmelt and flooding, the problem was months in the making. She further said that the weather pattern was consistent with what climate scientists have predicted for the region due to climate change.

She believes that the problem is not about increased individual responsibility, but about decades of policy that has failed to prioritize conservation and nature.

The answer, she said, is to pressure government at all levels to create systems to respond to extreme weather emergencies, such as flooding, heavy snowfall and fires, while also funding the transition away from fossil fuels with options such as better public transportation and electric vehicles.

The National Weather Service reported that rain is likely to continue falling over the Seattle area for most of the upcoming week.