Washington Declares Statewide Emergency As Rivers Try To Start New Ocean
KEY POINTS
- •Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency on December 10 due to widespread flooding.
- •Approximately 100,000 people near the Snohomish and Skagit rivers were ordered to evacuate as rivers hit record flood levels.
- •Amtrak suspended Seattle to Vancouver train service while several roads into Vancouver shut owing to flooding and avalanche risks.
In what’s basically a water feature gone rogue, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency this Wednesday after the Snohomish and Skagit rivers decided to throw historic parties — aka catastrophic flooding events with lifelong evacuation invitations for about 100,000 people. Starting earlier in the week, an atmospheric river (not a really chill river, but a high-moisture air pipeline) unloaded 5 to 10+ inches of rain across the Pacific Northwest, leaving Oregon and B.C. roads drowning and landslides throwing their own unexpected dance-offs. Seattle somehow dodged the watery chaos, but Amtrak’s Seattle-Vancouver train said 'nope' and suspended service through Friday, while the highway between those two city besties stayed barely afloat. The Canadian side isn’t taking it any better, with five of six Vancouver roads closed due to flood debris, avalanche threats, and just bad vibes. Climate change, being the uninvited guest, cranked up these storms’ intensity, while UCLA's Daniel Swain points out that not having mountain snow is like pouring a glass of water onto SpongeBob. In other words, Washington is that soggy friend who can’t stop crying, except it’s the entire state crying floodwaters.
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Washington’s flooded so hard that even valuing dry land is now considered vintage. Someone tell the Snohomish and Skagit rivers to cool it—they’re officially overachievers in making real estate underwater.
Turns out, the Pacific Northwest mistook 'atmospheric river' for an actual river and now 100,000 locals are swimming in the new Olympic sport of emergency evacuations.
Elevating wet socks to a lifestyle choice, Washington's rivers stealing the show and every local’s basement in the ultimate liquid mic drop.
Source: Axios | Published: 12/12/2025 | Author: Rebecca Falconer
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