Historic Flooding in Washington State Prompts Mass Evacuations/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Torrential rain has unleashed historic floods across Washington, destroying homes, stranding families, and triggering mass evacuations. State officials warn that river levels are still rising and further catastrophic flooding is expected. Entire communities are submerged, and emergency services continue rescue operations under dangerous conditions.
Washington Flood Emergency Quick Looks
- Washington declares a state of emergency amid unprecedented flooding.
- Over 78,000 residents ordered to evacuate Skagit River floodplain.
- Entire neighborhoods submerged, families rescued by helicopters.
- Multiple rivers surge past historical flood records.
- Landslides and closed roads isolate communities across the state.
- At least two homes collapsed into the Nooksack River.
- Amtrak service suspended between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
- Sumas, Nooksack, and Everson fully evacuated near U.S.-Canada border.
- Infrastructure damage includes flooded bridges, highways, and a fire station.
- Officials brace for another storm system expected Sunday.
Historic Flooding in Washington State Prompts Mass Evacuations
Deep Look
MOUNT VERNON, WASHINGTON — Unrelenting rainfall has brought record-breaking floods to Washington state, submerging entire communities, destroying infrastructure, and displacing tens of thousands of residents. With rivers cresting at historic levels and more storms on the horizon, emergency officials warn the crisis is far from over.
Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency as evacuation orders spread across vast areas of western Washington. “I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past,” Ferguson posted on X, formerly Twitter. “However, we’re looking at a historic situation.”
At the heart of the devastation is the Skagit River, where nearly 78,000 people were ordered to leave the floodplain north of Seattle. The river, which cuts through a key agricultural region, is projected to rise even higher on Friday morning, threatening more communities.
Meanwhile, the Snohomish River surged to nearly a foot above its all-time high, flooding neighborhoods in its namesake city. The Nooksack River to the north caused catastrophic erosion, collapsing at least two homes into its waters. Emergency officials confirmed that no one was inside at the time.
In Concrete, a small mountain town near the Skagit River, Mariah Brosa watched as floodwaters nearly reached her raised riverfront home. Her fiancé’s work vehicle was destroyed by the rushing water.
“I didn’t think it would come this high,” Brosa said, noting how rapidly the situation deteriorated.
The region is no stranger to floods. In 2003, hundreds were displaced in Mount Vernon, the county’s largest city with roughly 35,000 residents. A floodwall installed after that disaster passed a major test in 2021, when the river came close to overtopping. As of Thursday morning, the river lapped at the base of the wall once again.
In Burlington, located nearby, officials are placing their hopes on a network of dikes and levees. “We’re counting on our systems holding,” said Michael Lumpkin of the local police department.
But much of the damage has already been done.
Emergency Response Underway
Emergency crews have conducted dozens of rescues across the state. In Sumas, near the Canadian border, helicopters rescued two families trapped on rooftops as water levels reached nearly 15 feet. The local fire station was flooded with three feet of water, rendering it inoperable, according to Frank Cain Jr., battalion chief of Whatcom County Fire District 14.
In nearby Welcome, flood-driven erosion caused at least two houses to collapse into the Nooksack River. Videos captured the dramatic moments as the riverbank gave way, sweeping homes downstream.
A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, stranding cars amid mud, fallen trees, and debris. Large segments of State Route 410 remain underwater or washed out with no alternate routes and no estimated reopening time.
The border crossing at Sumas has been shut down, and Amtrak suspended service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, as tracks were deemed unsafe.
In Snoqualmie, a dramatic image of a herd of elk swimming across a flooded football field went viral, illustrating the surreal scale of the disaster.
Meanwhile, in Issaquah, residents along the swollen Issaquah Creek used pumps and sandbags in a desperate attempt to hold off the water. Authorities cordoned off dangerous areas as water levels surged Thursday morning.
Climate Change and Future Threats
Scientists have long warned that climate change would increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including flooding. Although any single storm can’t be definitively linked to global warming without extensive study, experts note that warming oceans and a changing atmosphere contribute to heavier and more frequent rainfall.
The current flooding follows days of what meteorologists have identified as an atmospheric river, a concentrated band of moisture flowing inland from the Pacific Ocean. It dumped inches of rain across Washington and threatens to return, with another storm system forecast to arrive on Sunday.
That leaves a narrow window for rescue, cleanup, and fortification before the next deluge.
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