Heavy rain inundates Western Washington as statewide emergency declared
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Heavy rain inundates Western Washington as statewide emergency declared")
In an aerial view, floodwaters inundate farmland on December 6, 2023 near Silvana, Washington. Atmospheric river conditions in the region brought heavy rains and flooding. Photograph: (AFP)
Western Washington faces catastrophic flooding as heavy rain submerges Skagit, Snohomish and King counties. With Governor Bob Ferguson declaring a statewide emergency, forecasters warn of record river levels, mass evacuations, and more rain ahead.
Western Washington is under red alert as heavy rain submerged parts of Skagit, Snohomish and King counties on Thursday, putting approximately 100,000 state residents at risk of evacuation. The National Weather Service has forecasted 18 major floods and 15 moderate floods across the state of Washington. The current period of heavy rain began on Monday, December 8, 2025 intensified through Tuesday and Wednesday. According to Associated Press, in the Pacific Northwest, an atmospheric river is swelling to record numbers. Forecasters are predicting another 4 to 8 inches of rain is possible by Wednesday and Thursday. The heavy rain will also likely affect Idaho and Montana.
Authorities prepare for 'catastrophic flooding'
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson has already declared a statewide emergency. "The situation is fluid and changing all the time. We expect rivers to hit historic levels as early as 4 am tomorrow, lasting into Friday morning," said Ferguson in a statement posted on X on Wednesday. In Skagit County, 60 miles north of Seattle, the Mount Vernon city communities of Hamilton, Rockport, and Marblemount are asked to evacuate. Mount Vernon is the largest city in the county, with some 35,000 residents.
Along Interstate 5 between Seattle and Portland, firefighters rescued five people who tried to drive on flooded roads, including a semi-truck driver.
The Skagit River is expected to swell to a record height. US-12, a transcontinental east-west United States highway, is already underwater in many areas, and the small town of Randle has been cut off.
In Vermont City, they constructed a wall in 2018 that prevents part of the downtown from flooding. Authorities have also evacuated a mobile home park along the Snohomish River. Workers in Auburn, south of Seattle, installed a temporary flood control barrier. "We're preparing for what increasingly appears to be a worst-case scenario here," said Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan. Washington Senator Maria Cantwell urged residents to stay alert and follow the evacuation order, this is not any ordinary rain or flood.
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