Whatcom County’s stormy forecast a reminder of past Nooksack River flooding
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- Whatcom officials urge residents to monitor forecasts and prepare evacuation plans.
- Emergency teams stage sandbags, check equipment, and coordinate across departments.
- Real-time river data and alerts guide responses; residents register for Whatcom Ready.
A series of storms heading toward Western Washington is evoking memories of the devastating Nooksack River floods of 2020 and 2021, which caused more than $150 million in damage across Whatcom County and claimed one life.
From Acme to Sumas to Everson, Ferndale and Lummi Nation, officials in towns along the Nooksack River have a wary eye on the weather because the so-called “atmospheric river” that is moving in from the South Pacific is setting up the all-too-familiar situation where rain will fall in the mountains, prompting rapid snowmelt and causing rivers and streams to rise quickly.
“Everyone’s watching it really closely. That’s the best we can do. Our goal is to be proactive. We’re prepared for the worst,” Chief Jerry DeBruin of Whatcom County Fire District 14 told The Bellingham Herald.
District 14 serves the communities of Sumas, Kendall and Welcome. Its Sumas station was under 3 feet of water in November 2021.
“There’s no way we’re going to stop the water if it comes. We’re just making sure that we can get people out of harm’s way,” DeBruin said in a phone call.
Current forecasts from the National Weather Service in Seattle and the Northwest River Forecast Center show the Nooksack River cresting far below flood stage.
Major flooding is predicted just south in the Skagit River communities of Concrete and Mount Vernon, and that’s making officials such as Everson Mayor John Perry take note.
“We’re still a ways out. If it shifts (north), we could get surprised. We’re going to be monitoring the skies,” Perry said.
Everson officials are prepared with sand, bags, and a bagging machine. But the biggest help to local residents is an online map that shows what parts of the city will be underwater, depending on the amount of water flowing in cubic feet per second. That information is available in real time at the Northwest River Forecast Center website, along with estimates of future flow.
Officials at both the Whatcom County Department of Public Works and the Department of Emergency Management are mobilizing ahead of the storm, County Executive Satpal Sidhu told The Herald.
“The county’s Public Works team and (the Sheriff’s Office) Division of Emergency Management are closely monitoring conditions and are well-prepared to respond. We ask the public to please abide by all ‘road closed’ signs, be on the lookout for extreme weather alerts, and prepare for weather emergencies before they happen,” Sidhu said in an email.
Amy Cloud at the Division of Emergency Management urged residents to keep abreast of the weather forecast and register for Whatcom Ready alerts.
“This is a good time to ensure your GoKit is ready and you have a plan and pre-identified destination, should you need to leave your home,” Cloud said in a statement.
Public Works spokeswoman Mandy Feutz told The Herald in an email that the county’s road maintenance and flood-response teams are checking their equipment and materials “to deploy quickly if flooding is anticipated. ... This weather system is a good reminder to review our annual Flooding in Whatcom County newsletter and bookmark the county’s Forecasts and Current River Conditions page, which brings together reliable sources for river levels, weather alerts and coastal forecasts.”
In Ferndale, officials were more concerned about having to close Slater Road because flood potential was low near the downtown area, spokeswoman Megan Juenemann told The Herald.
“In preparation for the season, the city of Ferndale has been coordinating across key departments. Crews have been staging sandbags, reviewing flood-response plans, and meeting with the Ferndale Auxiliary Communications Service, a volunteer group sponsored by the Ferndale Police Department, to support communication needs if conditions change,” Juenemann said in an email.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
