Bold warning: Washington could face historic flooding, with thousands ordered to evacuate as rivers surge and storms intensify.
Residents of western Washington began packing up on Wednesday as relentless rain pounded the region, compounding misery from a previous storm that forced rescues and road closures. An atmospheric river coursing through the Pacific Northwest pushed rivers toward record levels, threatening major flooding in areas including the Skagit River, which flows through a key agricultural valley north of Seattle. In Mount Vernon, officials ordered those living within the river’s floodplain to evacuate.
Earlier in the day, a sandbag station in Mount Vernon saw long lines of vehicles as locals prepared for what Mayor Peter Donovan called a “potential worst-case scenario.”
Governor Jay Ferguson declared a statewide emergency, warning that lives would be at stake in the coming days and estimating as many as 100,000 residents could face evacuation orders. He noted that rivers could reach historically high levels as early as 4 a.m. the next day, with effects lasting into Friday morning. The governor later cited forecasts from the National Weather Service predicting 18 major floods and 15 moderate floods across the state.
The National Weather Service warned of possible “catastrophic flooding,” especially along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers, and noted that landslides were likely in steep terrain within the affected zones.
Hundreds of Washington National Guard members were poised to assist communities, according to Gent Welsh, adjutant general of the guard.
In Orting, near Mount Rainier, Pierce County sheriff’s deputies rescued residents at an RV park, including a man in a Santa hat wading through waist-deep water. Parts of the town were evacuated due to dangerously high levels in the Puyallup River and compromised upstream levees.
A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, trapping vehicles beneath fallen trees, branches, mud, and standing water. Photos from Eastside Fire & Rescue showed a car crashing into the roadside barrier in the chaos. A mountainous section of U.S. 2 was closed because of rocks, trees, and mud, with no detour and no estimated reopening time.
Forecasters predicted the Skagit River would crest near 47 feet in Concrete early Thursday and around 41 feet in Mount Vernon early Friday—both well above typical levels.
Mount Vernon, the county’s largest city with about 35,000 residents, has a history of flooding. Residents once organized sandbag brigades for flood threats, though past floods also disrupted businesses. A floodwall completed in 2018 provides downtown protection and withstood near-record levels in 2021, but officials warned that this week’s historical heights could test the wall and older levees could fail.
Ellen Gamson, executive director of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association, stressed the real danger of extreme pressure on levees and dikes, calling it potentially catastrophic. Business owners described protective measures, such as elevating inventory and fortifying doors with sandbags. For example, a floral shop owner stacked sandbags and cleared items from the floor, while a homeowner moved valuables to higher floors and tested pumps.
Jake Lambly, a 45-year-old resident, said the flooded conditions threatened his most valuable asset—his home—and voiced concern about long-term prospects for homeowners in his neighborhood.
Meteorologist Harrison Rademacher described the atmospheric river as a jet of moisture funneling from the Pacific, a phenomenon he characterized as the “nozzle” directing rainfall along the Oregon-Washington coast.
Officials conducted door-to-door warnings in flood-prone neighborhoods and evacuated a mobile-home park along the Snohomish River. Snohomish declared an emergency, and Auburn workers installed temporary flood barriers along the White River.
In Sumas, near the U.S.–Canada border, a flood siren prompted evacuations at City Hall, and southbound commercial traffic was halted at the border to create space for evacuees.
Experts tie much of the intense rainfall to climate change, though they caution that attributing a single storm to climate dynamics is not straightforward. Nonetheless, climate trends are linked to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, including heavy rain, floods, and droughts.
A new storm system is expected to bring additional rain beginning Sunday, with forecasters noting the pattern remains unsettled heading into the holidays.
Locations mentioned include Seattle and other flood-related coverage, with ongoing updates anticipated as conditions evolve.
