By Joseph De Avila
Catastrophic flooding has swept through Washington, prompting tens of thousands to evacuate after a storm dropped more than a foot of rain on parts of the western portion of the state.
More than 300 Washington National Guard members have been mobilized and have carried out water rescues. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency.
Forecasts show another storm coming Monday and could add another 2 to 3 inches of rain in the Olympic Mountains and North Cascades in western Washington. Several rivers including the Snohomish River and Skagit River are running very high and continue to be near or above record stage, posing major threats for residents, said Kirby Cook, a science and operations officer for the National Weather Service in Seattle.
"It's going to take a while for a lot of this water to run off," Cook said. "Any precipitation that starts to fall again is going to be a concern because it's going to add to the flows on the rivers again."
Everson, a small city in Whatcom County located about 100 miles north of Seattle, was hit by heavy flood water. Videos on social media and verified by Storyful -- owned by News Corp, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal -- show the community inundated with water and nearly covering an 8-foot tall fence. Another video released by the Coast Guard shows a helicopter rescuing residents who became trapped in their attic in Sumas, Wash.
Floodwaters covered streets and closed businesses in Sumas, Nooksack and Marietta, according to Whatcom County officials.
Write to Joseph De Avila at joseph.deavila@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 12, 2025 10:30 ET (15:30 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments