As relentless rain battered the Pacific Northwest in early December 2025, communities across Washington state found themselves in the grip of a disaster described by officials as both “catastrophic” and “potentially life threatening.” By December 12, nearly 100,000 residents faced evacuation orders, rivers surged past historic highs, and the state’s emergency response was stretched to its limits amid the most severe flooding in a generation.
For days, an atmospheric river—essentially a conveyor belt of moisture-laden air from the Pacific—unleashed torrents of rain over western Washington and parts of British Columbia, Canada. According to the National Weather Service, the resulting floods threatened not only property and infrastructure but also lives. “The flooding levels we’re looking at are potentially historic in nature, so we just want to emphasise how serious the situation is,” Governor Bob Ferguson told reporters at a Mount Vernon press briefing, as cited by BBC.
Communities along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers, including Burlington, Hamilton, La Conner, Lyman, Mount Vernon, and Sedro-Woolley—home to about 78,000 people in the Skagit Valley’s 100-year floodplain—were especially hard hit. Late on December 10, local authorities ordered everyone in the floodplain to evacuate, a move echoed by similar directives throughout flood-prone areas across the state. In total, officials expected up to 100,000 people to be displaced as rivers crested from December 11 into December 12.
“We walked through the numerous highway closures. We walked through the flood levels. We walked through tens of thousands of Washingtonians being evacuated, and we tried to be as persuasive as we could to our partners in the federal government that they need to approve that emergency right away,” Ferguson recounted after meeting with FEMA officials, as reported by the Washington State Standard. The governor declared a statewide emergency and activated the Washington National Guard—deploying 300 members to fill sandbags and assist with evacuations, particularly along the Skagit River.
The National Guard’s efforts were mirrored by local emergency services, who juggled rescues with their day-to-day responsibilities. In Pierce County, Sheriff’s deputies facilitated over 60 water rescues on December 11 alone, even as landslides, downed trees, and power outages complicated their work. “Members on our swift water team are detectives, so they had to leave those swift water teams to go manage a homicide in addition to returning back to swift water to make more rescues,” Deputy Carly Capetto explained to CNN.
As water levels rose, so did the urgency. In Burlington, officials described hurried evacuations as floodwaters from Gages Slough spilled into homes. The National Guard went door-to-door, helping residents to safety. “Fingers crossed but ready to go,” State Senator Keith Wagoner said from his Sedro-Woolley home, which sat on the edge of the floodplain. “We are still safe but the water is still rising. I think the worst is yet to come. If the predictions hold true, it is really going to do some damage.”
Elsewhere, the Snohomish River surged past its previous record of 33.5 feet set in 1990, with water lapping against flood walls and threatening to overtop levees. In Sumas, near the Canadian border, water reached up to 15 feet deep in places, prompting dozens of rescues by helicopter and boat. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reported “multiple” overnight helicopter rescues in Sultan, about 40 miles northeast of Seattle, after residents became trapped in their homes.
For some, the devastation was personal and immediate. Seven-year-old Jocelyn Rosas, interviewed by CBS News, choked back tears as she returned to find her family’s mobile home underwater in Monroe. “The only clothes I’ve got are just my pyjamas,” she said. Her father, Jose Rosas, explained that they had recently moved to save money for his wife’s cancer treatment—only to lose their home in the floods. “It’s hard because we had to explain to her why we moved over here,” he said. “And now it’s gone.”
Animals, too, were caught in the deluge. Hundreds of horses, cows, goats, and chickens were evacuated to emergency stables in Snohomish County, as reported by KOMO TV. “They’re very thankful that they have a place that they can go to take their animals,” said Amy Craven, marketing specialist at Evergreen State Fair Park, where the stables quickly filled up.
Atmospheric rivers—responsible for this disaster—brought not just rain but also melted snowpack in the Cascades and Olympic mountains, funneling even more water into already swollen rivers. As a result, at least four major rivers, including the Skagit, Snohomish, Cedar, and Nooksack, reached or surpassed record levels. The Skagit River near Mount Vernon crested at 37.62 feet, eclipsing its previous 1990 record. “As long as there have been records, the river has never gotten this high in those areas,” Governor Ferguson emphasized to CNN.
With more than 30 highways closed—including key routes like U.S. 2 and Interstate 90—mobility across the region ground to a halt. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned of “deep and swift flood waters” and ongoing risks, even as the heaviest rain began to subside. Officials cautioned that rivers would remain above flood stage for days, and that the risk of landslides and debris flows persisted.
In the midst of the crisis, Washington’s entire congressional delegation—across party lines—urged President Donald Trump to approve emergency federal aid immediately. “It is essential that the federal government steps in to provide the resources necessary to allow our state to respond to this disaster and begin the road to recovery as soon as possible,” they wrote in a joint letter. Their plea followed a federal judge’s December 11 ruling that FEMA’s earlier funding cuts were unlawful, reopening more than $150 million for flood mitigation projects in Washington.
Meanwhile, the community response was as swift as the rising waters. In Whatcom County, local farmers with tractors, volunteer firefighters, and the U.S. Coast Guard joined forces to rescue stranded residents. “It’s been very scary,” said Abby Yates, an emergency response team member from the Nooksack Tribe. “You can literally hear these giant boulders going down, huge cedar trees going down the river. It’s just really unbelievable.”
As the rain tapered off and rivers slowly receded, the sense of relief was tempered by the knowledge that recovery would be long and arduous. “For most residents, their upper floor is dry and the bottom floor is flooded so it will be a case of pulling everything out, drying it and putting it back together,” said Frank Martin, a builder in Skykomish. Yet, despite the destruction, stories of resilience and community spirit continued to emerge—neighbors opening their homes, volunteers risking their safety, and officials working around the clock to protect lives and livelihoods.
Governor Ferguson planned further press conferences to update the public, but his message remained clear: heed evacuation orders, stay vigilant, and prepare for a recovery that will take both time and collective effort. The floodwaters may eventually recede, but the impact of December 2025 will be felt for years to come in Washington’s river valleys.
