River monitors say Nooksack expected to reach minor flood stage again this week
Flooding was again forecast along the Nooksack River on Wednesday, after another day of record rainfall added to a week of misery for many Whatcom County residents.
Updated data from the Northwest River Forecast Center shows the Nooksack River cresting above minor flood stage of 18 feet on Thursday.
Upstream predictions show the river cresting Wednesday at “action stage,” a level below flood stage, after a week of intense rain that twice broke daily records at Bellingham International Airport, where the National Weather Service measures meteorological data.
City of Ferndale spokeswoman said Megan Juenemann told The Bellingham Herald that closures were expected for Barrett Road at Paradise Road, Smith Road at Hovander Road, and there is water over the roadway on Imhoff Road and Portal Way north of Brown Road.
“We are keeping a close eye on the projected river crest level. If the river prediction runs true at 18.5 feet, that is often the level we see Slater Road closed. As you know, that road closure has significant traffic impacts for Ferndale and residents of the Lummi Peninsula. We currently have some urban flooding in the typical low-lying areas,” Juenemann said in an email.
Bellingham measured 1.24 inches on Tuesday as wind and rain from an unrelenting series of storms hit Western Washington. Areas around Everson showed closed to 3 inches of rain, according to amateur weather waters who record information for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, a national organization of citizen scientists.
Additional information from Ferndale city officials and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management has yet to be released.
This story was originally published December 17, 2025 at 8:56 AM.
