Update on Washington flooding, evacuations from Gov. Bob Ferguson
Washington officials were still on pins and needles Thursday afternoon as they waited to see if the federal government would grant the state’s request for aid amid continued flooding.
Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency Wednesday and said the state was seeking an expedited emergency declaration from the federal government. He said Thursday that he’s made clear to the federal government “how grave the situation is here in Washington state.”
“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 said at a Dec. 11 news conference at Skagit Valley College.
The federal government previously refused the state’s request for disaster relief following the November 2024 bomb cyclone storm, which reportedly caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to public property.
Residents in some parts of the state, including in East Pierce County, have evacuated in recent days after receiving “Go now” notices, according to The News Tribune.
In Sumner, both directions of state Route 410 were closed following Thursday morning’s heavy rainfall that caused water to collect on the roadway, per the Tribune.
Ferguson said Thursday that there hadn’t been reported deaths, although evacuations were ongoing in various parts of the state.
It’s unclear what the cost of the damages will be, and it will likely take days or weeks to get a full accounting, said Robert Ezell, director of the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division, at Thursday’s news conference.
Ferguson said that the statewide emergency is hitting counties across the state. He said the National Weather Service has described the event as potentially leading to significant loss of life, and as possibly catastrophic.
He qualified Wednesday’s call with the federal government as a “good conversation” and the state’s need for federal help as “tremendous.” He said he explained that tens of thousands of Washingtonians have been evacuated, and that he’s working to consult with FEMA again following Thursday’s press conference, providing updates as they come.
KUOW reported Thursday that 100,000 people in the Skagit Valley had been placed under evacuation orders.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, said in a Thursday social media post that she’s led the state’s congressional delegation in sending a bipartisan request to President Donald Trump asking for approval of an expedited emergency declaration.
“Time is of the essence,” Murray said on X.
Ferguson said the region has seen roughly 30 or 31 highways close during the weather event, including in Skagit County.
“This situation is extremely unpredictable,” he said, adding that the flooding levels could be possibly “historic in nature.”
Ezell said the state is witnessing back-to-back atmospheric rivers with significant rainfall, prompting rivers to rise.
“The situation is unpredictable. It’s dangerous,” he said. “We don’t know what exactly will happen when those floodwaters come through.”
A reporter at the news conference asked for clarity about the potential risk of a levee or dike failure.
Julie De Losada, chief of Skagit County’s emergency management, replied that in 2021, the area’s drainage and dike systems “had some impacts” during flooding. Some repairs have since occurred.
“This flood is the next event that will be testing the security of the dikes,” De Losada said. “So we don’t know yet, until the water starts rising more and pushing against that dike system more.”
It’s unclear when closed roads will reopen, Ezell said; first, floodwaters will need to recede and damage will need to be assessed. In many cases, he said, repairs will be required.
Ezell said that 300 National Guard members would soon be in the Skagit area but that more will be deployed to other areas of the state if needed.
Officials urge Washingtonians to stay out of high and moving waters, and to heed evacuation notices until the orders officially lift.
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Update on Washington flooding, evacuations from Gov. Bob Ferguson."
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