Record-breaking floods have left a trail of devastation across western Washington, forcing thousands from their homes, stranding families, and prompting a massive emergency response as rivers burst their banks in what officials are calling an unprecedented natural disaster. As the Skagit River and other waterways climbed to historic levels, entire communities such as Burlington, Mount Vernon, and Sumas found themselves at the epicenter of a crisis that has upended lives and left a vast swath of the region underwater.
It all began with an unusually strong atmospheric river—a colossal plume of moisture drawn from the Pacific Ocean—dumping more than a foot (30 cm) of rain over several days. According to AP, this deluge swelled rivers throughout western and central Washington, overwhelming levees, and turning streets, farmland, and neighborhoods into lakes. By December 12, 2025, the floodwaters began to recede ever so slightly, but authorities warned that the danger was far from over. "These water levels have been historic, and they're going to remain very high for an extended period of time," Governor Bob Ferguson cautioned at a press briefing, as quoted by FOX Weather.
The scale of the disaster was quickly recognized at the federal level, with President Donald Trump signing an emergency declaration to unlock resources for the battered state. The declaration came just as damage assessments began, but the true toll—financial and otherwise—remained unknown. What was clear, according to Sky News, was that the flooding had forced the closure of dozens of major highways, washed out roads and bridges, and cut off entire communities from the outside world.
As the Skagit River surged to a record high—nearly 38 feet (11.6 meters) at Mount Vernon, surpassing previous records by inches—evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands. Burlington, a farming city of nearly 10,000 people north of Seattle, was among the hardest hit. National Guard troops and sheriff's deputies went door-to-door early on December 12, urging residents to leave immediately and helping many reach shelters. Michael Lumpkin, spokesperson for the Burlington police department, described scenes of responders paddling stranded residents to safety in inflatable rafts through muddy, chest-deep water. "It's definitely not an all-clear," Lumpkin warned, even as the evacuation order was partially lifted later that morning.
For many, the ordeal was harrowing. Mario Rincón, who had been staying at a hotel with his family—including a week-old infant—returned to his Burlington property only to find murky floodwaters lapping partway up the first floor. "It's going to be a few days before the water recedes," Rincón told AP. "We're going to be looking where to stay in the meantime, and it's kind of difficult because my mom and my mother-in-law are visiting from Mexico until the end of December for the holidays." Stories like his echoed across the flood zone, as families waited anxiously to see what, if anything, could be salvaged from their homes.
The Skagit River, which drains a vast portion of the Cascade Range before winding through low-lying farmland to Puget Sound, crested at 37 feet (11 meters) in Mount Vernon overnight. A flood wall completed in 2018 held fast, protecting the downtown area, but elsewhere, the river's fury was uncontained. About 1,000 Burlington residents were forced to evacuate in the middle of the night—some with just minutes to spare. In certain neighborhoods, water reached two to three feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) deep inside homes, according to police.
Further north, near the U.S.-Canada border, towns like Sumas, Nooksack, and Everson—home to about 6,500 residents—were inundated, with the border crossing at Sumas shuttered. Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch described the city as "devastated," noting that the community was still recovering from a similar flood just four years earlier. In Whatcom County, helicopters rescued families from rooftops, plucking them from homes submerged by up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) of water. Battalion Chief Frank Cain Jr. recounted the dramatic rescues to AP, and even animals were not forgotten; kayakers managed to save a stranded rooster perched on a tree branch amidst the floodwaters.
The danger was not limited to rising water alone. Mudslides and debris flows closed highways and, in one case, destroyed a portion of US Highway 2 near Skykomish in King County. Senator Maria Cantwell highlighted the economic impact, noting that the highway generates $7 to $10 million annually for the state. In Yakima County, the Naches River swallowed stretches of US 12, a vital east-west corridor. As FOX Weather reported, officials warned, "If you see a road closed sign, it's closed for a reason." Brian Nielsen from the Washington Department of Transportation urged drivers not to take risks: "If you can't see a road, don't attempt to cross. There might not even be a road there."
Throughout the ordeal, emergency personnel worked around the clock. Marine rescue teams, aerial crews, and the National Guard conducted dozens of rescues statewide. In King County, officials responded to dozens of calls, including a man trapped atop his car in the Snoqualmie River and two people stranded in their homes in Duvall. In Snohomish County, fire and rescue teams saved 24 people, along with several pets, in a single night. The commitment of public employees was on full display; in Tukwila, a county wastewater worker trapped by floodwaters continued to operate a treatment facility for days, ensuring public health for millions.
Despite the scale of the disaster, there have been no reported deaths or missing persons as of December 12, 2025—a testament, perhaps, to the swift and coordinated response. Karina Shagren, spokesperson for the state's emergency management division, told Sky News, "We haven't seen flooding like this ever," but confirmed that no injuries had been reported so far. Still, the threat was not over. The National Weather Service issued ongoing flash-flood warnings for the Skagit River basin, and officials warned that levees remained under immense pressure. "Extensive flooding of streets, homes and farmland will be possible if levees and dikes give way," the weather service cautioned.
Looking ahead, the forecast offered little comfort. Another atmospheric river was expected to drench the region beginning Sunday night, December 14, with the potential for another five to eight inches of rain, according to the FOX Forecast Center. Adjutant General Gent Welsh of the Washington Military Department offered a sober assessment: "It's going to be days, folks. If you look at the conditions that exist out there that put people out of their homes, it's going to be days and in some cases weeks, before those rivers are at a level that is comfortable and safe."
Scientists have long warned that climate change is making extreme weather events like these more frequent and intense. While it is difficult to attribute any single storm directly to climate change, the pattern of heavier rainfall, more powerful storms, and destructive flooding is unmistakable. For now, Washingtonians are left to pick up the pieces, hoping the waters recede before the next storm arrives—and that their communities will emerge stronger from this historic test.
