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4w ago

Record Floods Swamp Western Washington as Tens of Thousands Evacuate

Forecasters expect dangerous high water to persist despite a brief lull in rain, with another storm possible Sunday.

A driver manages to drive through flood waters from the Snohomish River in Snohomish, Washington, on December 11, 2025. Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders Thursday in western North America, after days of heavy rain forced rivers to burst their banks. Storms have battered Washington state in the US and British Columbia over the Canadian border for several days, with rivers continuing to rise. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images)
Brandon Phasith carries belongings while evacuating amid rising floodwater as an atmospheric river brings rain and flooding to the Pacific Northwest, in Sultan, Washington, on Dec. 10, 2025.
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Motorists drive over a flooded road in Northern Bellingham in Wash., Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Overview

  • Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency as the National Weather Service warned of potentially catastrophic flooding across the region.
  • Skagit County ordered everyone in the Skagit River 100‑year floodplain to leave, with roughly 78,000 residents affected and up to about 100,000 statewide facing evacuation orders or warnings.
  • The Snohomish River rose nearly a foot above its record and the Skagit reached just above its record in Mount Vernon, with additional crests expected Friday.
  • Hundreds of Washington National Guard troops and local crews conducted water rescues, including helicopter missions near the Canadian border, as authorities stressed that levee failures remain a risk.
  • Landslides and high water shut major routes including parts of I‑90 and U.S. 2, Amtrak halted Seattle–Vancouver service, BNSF reported washouts, and thousands lost power as officials cautioned impacts would last for days.