Washington Flooding Crisis: 100,000 Face Evacuation

Western Washington state finds itself in the grip of a potentially catastrophic flooding emergency as an atmospheric river delivers relentless rainfall, swelling rivers to historic levels and forcing thousands from their homes. With Governor Bob Ferguson declaring a statewide emergency Wednesday, the region braces for what officials warn could be record-breaking floods affecting up to 100,000 residents.

Rivers Surge Toward Historic Levels

The Skagit River, flowing through one of Washington's most productive agricultural valleys north of Seattle, stands at the center of the crisis. According to CBS News, the river is forecast to crest at approximately 47 feet in the mountain town of Concrete early Thursday morning, and roughly 41 feet in Mount Vernon by early Friday—both "record-setting forecasts by several feet," according to Skagit County officials.

Harrison Rademacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, described the atmospheric river as "a jet stream of moisture" stretching across the Pacific Ocean "with the nozzle pushing right along the coast of Oregon and Washington." This weather phenomenon has triggered warnings of catastrophic flooding, particularly along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers.

Governor Ferguson emphasized the gravity of the situation on social media: "We expect rivers to hit historic levels as early as 4 a.m. tomorrow, lasting into Friday morning." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Prediction Service has predicted 18 major floods and 15 moderate floods across the state.

Evacuations Underway Across Multiple Communities

Mount Vernon, the largest city in Skagit County with approximately 35,000 residents, has ordered all residents within the river's floodplain to evacuate. Mayor Peter Donovan described the developing situation as "what increasingly appears to be a worst-case scenario here."

The evacuation orders extend far beyond Mount Vernon. In Sumas, a small city along the U.S.-Canada border, a flood siren rang out at city hall, prompting residents to flee. The border crossing was closed to southbound commercial vehicles to accommodate the evacuations, according to the Abbotsford Police Department.

In the Mount Rainier foothills southeast of Seattle, Pierce County sheriff's deputies conducted water rescues at an RV park in Orting, including helping one man in a Santa hat wade through waist-deep water. Part of the town received mandatory evacuation orders due to concerns about the Puyallup River's extreme levels and the integrity of upstream levees.

Authorities have also evacuated a mobile home park along the Snohomish River, with officials going door-to-door to warn residents of imminent flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Infrastructure Under Pressure

The flooding has already caused significant disruptions to transportation infrastructure. A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos from Eastside Fire & Rescue showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water. One car was photographed rammed into the metal barrier on the side of the road.

Officials closed a mountainous section of U.S. Route 2 due to rocks, trees and mud, with the state transportation department reporting no detours available and no estimated time for reopening. The National Weather Service also warned that "landslides are likely in areas of steep terrain within the considerable and catastrophic regions."

Communities Prepare for the Worst

Residents across the region spent Wednesday preparing for the worst. In Mount Vernon, dozens of vehicles backed up at a sandbag-filling station as people rushed to protect their properties. The preparations reflect deep anxiety about whether the city's flood defenses will hold.

Mount Vernon has long battled with flooding from the Skagit River. In decades past, residents would form sandbagging brigades when floods threatened, but businesses were often inundated anyway. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people, scarring the community's collective memory.

The city completed construction of a floodwall in 2018 designed to protect downtown. The barrier passed a major test in 2021 when the river crested near record levels. However, the historic levels expected Friday could overtop the wall, and concerns persist about the integrity of older levees throughout the system.

"The concern about that kind of pressure on the levy and dike system is real," said Ellen Gamson, executive director of the Mount Vernon Downtown Association. "It could potentially be catastrophic."

Personal Stakes Run High

The human cost of the flooding emergency is evident in the stories of individual residents scrambling to protect their livelihoods and homes.

Sheena Wilson, who owns a floral shop downtown, stacked sandbags by the doors and cleared items off the floor. "If the water comes in above table height I've got bigger problems than my merchandise," she told reporters.

Jake Lambly, 45, spent the day adding sandbags, testing water pumps and moving valuables to the top floor of the home he shares with his 19-year-old son. For Lambly, like many residents in the area, the house represents his entire financial security. "This is my only asset," he said from his front porch. "I got nothing else."

Many business owners in Mount Vernon's downtown rented tables to place inventory higher off the floor, a testament to both their resourcefulness and their vulnerability.

Emergency Response Mobilizes

Washington's response to the crisis has been swift and extensive. Governor Ferguson's statewide emergency declaration enables the mobilization of additional resources, and Gent Welsh, adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, confirmed that hundreds of Guard members will be deployed to assist affected communities.

In Auburn, south of Seattle, workers installed temporary flood control barriers along the White River. The city of Snohomish issued an emergency proclamation, taking proactive steps to coordinate response efforts.

Climate Change Connection

While scientists caution that they cannot directly link any single weather event to climate change without specific study, the broader pattern is clear. Climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme weather events, including storms, droughts, floods and wildfires, according to climate researchers.

The atmospheric river phenomenon itself—while a natural weather pattern—has been producing increasingly intense rainfall events as the atmosphere warms and holds more moisture. This latest crisis adds to a growing body of evidence about the changing nature of weather patterns in the Pacific Northwest.

No Relief in Sight

Unfortunately for Washington residents, the forecast offers little hope for immediate relief. Meteorologist Rademacher warned that another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday. "The pattern looks pretty unsettled going up to the holidays," he said.

This means that even after the current flooding subsides, saturated ground and stressed infrastructure will face renewed pressure, potentially compounding the damage and extending the recovery period.

Looking Forward

As Washington confronts this immediate crisis, the flooding raises urgent questions about infrastructure investment, land use planning, and community resilience in the face of increasingly extreme weather. The 2018 floodwall in Mount Vernon represents the kind of proactive investment that can make a difference—but only if such protections are adequate for the scale of future floods.

For now, the focus remains on immediate safety. Governor Ferguson's stark warning bears repeating: "Lives will be at stake in the coming days." With up to 100,000 residents potentially facing evacuation orders, the next 48 hours will be critical for Washington communities battling historic floods.

Residents in flood-prone areas should monitor local emergency alerts, have evacuation plans ready, and follow all orders from local authorities. As Jake Lambly and thousands of others like him across western Washington have learned, when it comes to flooding, preparation can mean the difference between manageable damage and devastating loss.