Historic flooding swamps Washington state, federal emergency declared ahead of another round of rain

Historic flooding ongoing crossed Washington State, much rainfall up adjacent week.

After days of torrential rain, the atmospheric stream is yet abating implicit parts of Washington state, but historical stream flooding remains. Evacuations are inactive successful effect and ongoing, aft Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a State of Emergency Wednesday. Dozens of section and authorities roads stay closed owed to flooding and debris slides. After a little interruption successful the rain, different atmospheric stream is forecast to determination implicit the portion opening Sunday night.

TUKWILA, Wash. – Historic stream flooding has swamped the authorities of Washington, resulting successful the closure of galore of captious large highways, evacuation orders for thousands of Washingtonians and dozens of exigency rescues crossed the state. 

On Dec. 12, an exigency declaration was signed by President Donald Trump arsenic Washington begins to measure the harm from the wide flooding that volition punctual a hefty, drawn-out betterment that has archetypal responders, authorities officials and employees and the radical of Washington moving astir the clock. 

Thus far, determination person been nary reported deaths successful Washington from the flooding, though exigency rescue crews person made melodramatic rescues crossed the state. 

Major flooding crossed Washington authorities has inundated respective neighborhoods, stalling preparations for the vacation play arsenic dozens of large roadways person been closed.

(Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue)

Marine rescue teams, aerial chopper teams, section authorities, authorities agencies and the Washington National Guard person reported dozens of rescues arsenic the wide flooding has forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

AMERICAN RED CROSS ON THE GROUND PROVIDING AID TO WASHINGTON FLOOD VICTIMS

"The concern is genuinely historic. Rivers similar the Skagit River and the Cedar River are virtually facing and experiencing historical levels of flooding. So this is thing the radical of the authorities of Washington person not faced before, this level of flooding," Gov. Bob Ferguson said successful a property league Friday.

After a little reprieve, yet different atmospheric river is forecast to determination implicit the portion opening Sunday night, introducing an further circular of precipitation to the swamped region.

The exigency declaration comes aft a authorities of exigency was declared connected Dec. 10 by Gov. Ferguson, who expressed his gratitude arsenic the authorities continues to representation retired the grade of harm up of different spell of rainfall and stream surges.

"The concern is highly unpredictable. We saw that successful Burlington past night" Gov. Ferguson said.

A motion for a Christmas histrion workplace is pictured arsenic flood waters from the Snohomish River screen Marsh Road disconnected State Route 9 successful Snohomish, Washington, connected December 11, 2025. Tens of thousands of radical were nether evacuation orders Thursday successful occidental North America, aft days of dense rainfall forced rivers to burst their banks. Storms person battered Washington authorities successful the US and British Columbia implicit the Canadian borderline for respective days, with rivers continuing to rise. 

((Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images))

National Guard work members went door-to-door Friday greeting successful Burlington, successful Skagit County, evacuating the full metropolis of astir 11,000, aft the Gages Slough stream began flooding into homes, according to region officials. 

WATCH: COAST GUARD RESCUES 4 TRAPPED IN FLOODED WASHINGTON HOME'S ATTIC

Ferguson added that successful the mediate of the night, astir 1,000 Burlington residents were forced to fly their homes successful what helium called "a precise dire situation."

With thousands evacuated from their homes, looking astatine the betterment process up and returning home, Adjutant General Gent Welsh of the Washington Military Department said, "It's going to beryllium days, folks. If you look astatine the conditions that beryllium retired determination that enactment radical retired of their homes, it's going to beryllium days and successful immoderate cases weeks, earlier those rivers are astatine a level that is comfy and safe." 

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

The utmost stream flooding has affected astatine slightest 16 counties crossed the authorities and already caused important harm to a bid of large and section roads, Sen. Maria Cantwell said Friday. 

On US 12 successful Naches successful Yakima County, the Naches River wholly swallowed the roadway, causing utmost harm to the large road that runs eastbound to westbound from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan, which Sen. Cantwell said is captious for authorities commerce.

The Naches River wholly swallowed a ample information US 12 successful Naches, causing utmost harm to the roadworthy that remains closed aft the stream wholly eroded the embankment. 

(Naches Fire Department)

A mudslide occurred successful the mountainous country of Skykomish successful King County and destroyed portion of US Highway 2, which Sen. Cantwell said annually generates anyplace from 7 to $10 cardinal of economical interaction connected the authorities of Washington. 

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A mudslide occurred and destroyed portion of the roadworthy connected US 2 adjacent Skykomish.

(WSDOT / Facebook)

Sumas successful Whatcom County has experienced important flooding, inundating a important information of the town, resulting successful the closure of the borderline crossing to Canada, Sen. Cantwell said. 

As of 2 p.m. PST Friday, officials said determination person been astir 20 authorities highways closed crossed 11 counties successful Washington, arsenic roads proceed to unfastened and adjacent arsenic clip progresses.

‘BLESSING IN DISGUISE': OVER 100 ANIMALS EVACUATED AHEAD OF WASHINGTON FLOODING

"If you spot a roadworthy closed sign, it's closed for a reason," Washington Department of Transportation Region Administrator Brian Nielsen said.

A operator manages to thrust done flood waters from the Snohomish River successful Snohomish, Washington, connected December 11, 2025. Tens of thousands of radical were nether evacuation orders Thursday successful occidental North America, aft days of dense rainfall forced rivers to burst their banks. Storms person battered Washington authorities successful the US and British Columbia implicit the Canadian borderline for respective days, with rivers continuing to rise. 

((Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images))

As small arsenic six inches of lasting h2o tin stall a car, and a ft of h2o could origin a car to interval beyond control.

"If you can't spot a road, don't effort to cross. There mightiness not adjacent beryllium a roadworthy there," Nielsen added.

Officials urged drivers to enactment informed utilizing authorities resources similar the real-time Travel Center Map identifying roadworthy closures crossed Washington. 

DRAMATIC EMERGENCY RESCUES STATEWIDE

Across the state, Washingtonians are experiencing what King County Executive Girmay Zahilay called "some of the astir terrible and unsafe our portion has seen successful years."

Rescue crews crossed the authorities person been hard astatine enactment responding to dozens of calls, performing dozens of melodramatic exigency rescues arsenic floodwaters person overtaken full towns and roads.

The U.S. Coast Guard connected Wednesday rescued 4 radical from the attic of a location during devastating flooding successful Sumas, Washington. The Coast Guard said nary 1 was injured. 

(U.S. Coast Guard)

"This is not a regular tempest event, this is historical flooding that has enactment lives and businesses and captious infrastructure astatine hazard each implicit our region," Zahilay said Friday. 

In King County, officials said dozens of exigency rescues person been performed successful highly unsafe conditions. 

Deputies from the King County Sheriff's Office rescued a antheral who was trapped connected apical of his car successful large floodwaters from the Snoqualmie River. In Duvall, the King County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit squad performed a precocious h2o rescue by deploying a vessel to scope 2 radical stranded successful their homes.

Deputies from the King County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit performed a precocious h2o rescue, redeeming 2 individuals stranded astatine their location successful Duvall. 

(King County Sheriff Air Support / Youtube)

On Dec. 10, successful Orting successful Pierce County, respective adults were rescued from an RV parkland submerged successful floodwaters. Deputies from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office deployed boats to assistance successful evacuating respective residents.

On Wednesday nighttime alone, Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue responded to 17 swift h2o calls, 3 work calls and 1 payment check, rescuing a full of 24 people, 4 cats and 2 dogs.

The Snohomish River crested astatine a grounds breaking 34.15 feet connected Dec. 11. This aerial drone photograph captures the metropolis of Snohomish underwater connected the near and Harvey Airfield connected the right.

(Snohomish County DEM / Facebook)

Late Wednesday night, Skagit County, 1 of the northernmost successful the state, announced that it was experiencing large flooding and urged each radical surviving wrong the 100-year flood plain to evacuate to higher ground. The county's Emergency Operations Center has opened respective shelters for the displaced.

Washington National Guard aviation unit rescues a stranded idiosyncratic connected apical of their conveyance wholly overtaken by flood h2o successful Skagit County. 

(WA National Guard / X)

ATMOSPHERIC RIVER CONTINUES TO SOAK THE NORTHWEST

After a little reprieve, yet different atmospheric stream is forecast to determination implicit the portion opening connected Monday.

After grounds stream crests crossed Washington, and astir 2 feet of rainfall observed, a lull successful progressive upwind volition beryllium short-lived arsenic further atmospheric stream events are connected the way, apt bringing much flooding with the imaginable for different 5–8 inches of rain, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Looking up beyond Monday, the larger upwind signifier implicit the bluish Pacific remains precise active. 

CROSS-COUNTRY WEEKEND WINTER STORM TO SPREAD SNOW TO MILLIONS 

This favors a continuation of unsettled conditions done overmuch of the week, including further rounds of rain, periods of upland snow astatine higher elevations erstwhile snowfall levels drop, and occasional windy conditions.

Stay with FOX Weather for continuous sum tracking the latest successful Washington 24/7.