‘Pineapple Express’ Drenches Northwest : Weather: Rising rivers force hundreds of evacuations. Other storms hit hard at the Gulf Coast and North Carolina.

A “Pineapple Express” storm swelled rivers in northwestern Washington state to near record flood levels Saturday, causing hundreds of evacuations, and a tornado skipped across North Carolina’s Hatteras Island, knocking out power.

The Gulf Coast also got walloped as wind-whipped seas caused offshore accidents from Texas to Alabama.

Despite the pounding from disparate weather systems across the nation, just one death was reported. An unidentified crewman died Friday after he fell off a ship in the Gulf of Mexico.

In Washington state, hundreds of people were evacuated in rural areas from the Snoqualmie Valley east of Seattle to southwestern British Columbia, more than 100 miles to the north.

Numerous highways were closed by high water, mudslides and washouts.

Officials estimated the number of people evacuated, unable to reach their homes or isolated by flooding at 300 to 500 in Whatcom County, 150 in Skagit County, 50 to 70 in Snohomish County and 10 in King County.

Officials were keeping a wary eye on dikes, levees and a few key bridges as the downpour began to subside later in the day.

“It looks like we could get through with minimal damage, depending on the next weather system we get,” said Dave Brookings, assistant flood control engineer in Skagit County.

If dikes along the Skagit River become soggy and unstable, “the whole lower basin is going to be vulnerable,” Brookings said. “If we have a dike failure, that could be a disaster.”

The National Weather Service reported eight rivers cresting within a foot of record flood levels.

The deluge came from what forecasters call the “Pineapple Express,” a fall storm track that carries warm, moist weather systems from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest.

Along the Gulf Coast, meanwhile, wind-driven seas threw a double barge into a bridge in Biloxi, Miss., knocking pilings loose. Officials said the bridge, which connects a coastal highway with Interstate 10, will be closed indefinitely.

The North Carolina tornado ripped roofs off homes and downed power lines and trees. No serious injuries were reported, said Graham Wilson, spokesman for the state Division of Crime Control and Public Safety.

Ferry service to Hatteras Island--the only way of reaching the Outer Banks--was temporarily suspended because of winds gusting up to 78 m.p.h., said Tabitha Hooper at the Hatteras Ferry Office.

The only road linking Hatteras to the mainland, via Bogue Island, was ripped apart two weeks ago when a dredge broke loose from its moorings in a gale and smashed into the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, severing the 2 1/2-mile span.

“It’s something every week. If it’s not tornadoes, it’s hurricane warnings,” Hooper said.

In Florida, residents cleaned up from thunderstorms and tornadoes that damaged mobile homes and businesses, the National Weather Service reported.

Tornadoes touched down Friday evening south of Sebring, damaging mobile homes, a dozen automobiles and commercial buildings. One person was slightly hurt.

The twisters also downed power lines, trees and some buildings in the communities of Maitland and Sanford, injuring at least nine people. Another tornado touched down near Daytona Beach. Rainwater was waist-high in Jacksonville.

Flood watches and warnings were raised for the mountains of northeastern Georgia, southwestern Virginia, portions of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire and much of Maine.