WASHINGTON STATE—Dozens of people were rescued in Snohomish County, from Wednesday through Thursday, due to the state, and federally, declared “emergency” flooding that swept the region, with more storms and more flooding ahead.
Meteorologists working with the National Weather Service (NWS) issued weather alerts for Washington residents on Wednesday, December 10, due to, what they predicted to be, “record-breaking flooding” – especially in the Puget Sound and Northern Cascades regions. Ferguson declared a state emergency and many areas were evacuated.
NWS’s predictions, catastrophically, became true as the Stillaguamish River at Arlington crested at 5 a.m. Thursday at 20.17 feet, and the Skykomish River at Gold Bar river cresting Wednesday evening causing “record-breaking” flooding, closed roads, damaged infrastructure, and multiple people needing emergency rescuing.
As of Friday, December 12, the Snohomish River at Snohomish remains at record level above 34.1 feet but is forecast to begin receding today.
However, another atmospheric storm is on the horizon for next week, according to the Emergency Management Department of the U.S. Military, though the flooding is expected to get to “moderate levels,” Director Robert Ezelle said Friday, and not return to the “record-breaking” levels the region saw over the last couple of days.
Still, Ezelle continued, the drainage of already flooded areas could be a slow process with no telling when those who were evacuated could return to their homes.
Ezelle gave an overview Friday of what’s going on across the state. The region’s two significant storms that rolled through, resulting in large amounts of water, two waves of flooding, and all but one river in the state crest – several reaching maximum flood stage with another river on the eastern side of the state projected to crest tomorrow.
“It’s going to take a while for the flood waters to recede. There was a lot of water that fell in the mountains, and it’s going to take its time to work through the river drainage,” said Ezelle. “We also see more weather next week that are going to cause rivers to rise again. We’ll see a handful reach a moderate flood stage and the Skagit River could rise to major flood stage. The situation remains very fluid, it’s dangerous, and please heed the warnings of first responders and keep yourselves safe.”
President Trump signs emergency declaration for Washington
On Friday, December 12, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson held a press conference at the Segale Levee, a crucial flood protection barrier along the Green River in Tukwila, to update the public on the region’s flooding. The presser came just hours after Governor Ferguson had a meeting with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who informed him President Donald Trump signed Washington’s request for an emergency declaration.
“I just received a phone call from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Secretary Noem informed me that the president signed our request for an emergency declaration. We have also received written confirmation of that emergency declaration,” said Gov. Ferguson. “I expressed my thanks to Secretary Noem on behalf of the people of the State of Washington during this extremely challenging time.”
However, Ferguson clarified during Friday’s presser that President Trump’s emergency declaration doesn’t necessarily guarantee funding for disaster relief. What it does, he continued, is essentially guarantee an assessment of the emergency, to which the federal government would decide whether it warrants funding assistance.
Joining Ferguson at Friday’s presser was Senator Maria Cantwell, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Tukwilla Mayor Thomas McLeod, Robert Ezelle, Director of Emergency Management Department with the U.S. Military, and Bryan Nielson, NW Region Administrator for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
“Thank you for the fast emergency declaration! Thank you for helping respond to our infrastructure needs. Thank you for supporting our first responders. Thank you!” Sen. Cantwell, who co-authored the request for a federal emergency declaration, said Friday. “We know that the 16 counties across the state have had unbelievable impacts from what is supposed to be a 100-year event…the good news is federal support is on the way.”
Sen. Cantwell added that the closure of Snohomish County’s Highway 2, alone, is projected to by anywhere between $7 to $10 million/a year in economic impact.
“King County and Washington State has experience some of the most severe, and dangerous, weather our region has experienced in years. This is not a routine storm event, this is historic flooding that has put lives, and businesses, and critical infrastructure at risk across the region,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, who just assumed office on November 25. “[The President’s] declaration is going to allow our region to access federal resources and assistance to support emergency response and recovery. While there is not yet federal assistance for individuals and businesses, this declaration is a step in the right direction.”
Gov. Ferguson was asked Friday what the timeline could look like for securing financial assistance to those impacted by the floods, but the Governor – while saying it will be “as fast as possible” – replied “these things require a process” and he could not say how long this process would take.
There have been no reports of fatalities, Gov. Ferguson added, despite tens of thousands of people ordered to evacuate and approximately five million Washingtonians under flood watch leading into Friday.
According to the NWS, Western Washington received 14 to 17 inches of rain in just a couple of days – the highest ever recorded rainfall in Western Washington since the NWS began collecting data. Flooding reached up to 10 feet deep in areas such as Sumas (requiring Coast Guard intervention), and up to three feet deep in Mount Vernon.
Dozens rescued from flooding by various emergency response agencies
There have been approximately 60-70 people rescued by multiple fire, and emergency response, agencies across Snohomish County due to flooding, from Wednesday through Thursday. Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue reported saving around 26 people by Thursday afternoon, and Fire District 4 reported saving 25 people (including 16 family members in one incident).
On Thursday, December 11, Snohomish County Fire District #4 reported three separate households who called 911 request assistance with evacuation due to flooding in the City of Snohomish, near the soccer fields. The first district, with help from the Chelan county taskforce, was able to evacuate all people and pets to safety without further incident.
Earlier that morning, in a separate incident, Snohomish County Fire District #4 deployed four rescue swimmers, to assist evacuate residents from their homes, which began flooding late Wednesday evening. The rescue swimmers deployed an inflatable kayak to successfully evacuate five adults, one child, three dogs, and three cats to safety. Other residents near Lincoln Avenue in Snohomish chose to shelter in place.
And also, that same day, SCFD#4 received a request to help with evacuating families from rising flood waters where its rescue swimmer team evacuated five adults and one child from neighboring addresses.
Later in the morning SCFD#4 was also called to the same area to help evacuate more families from the still-rising flood waters, evacuating eight Adults and eight children to the shore. Crews also evacuated pets and personal belongings.
Wednesday evening one motorist drove into water that was too deep for his car and walked to shore upon SCFD#4’s arrival.
Fire department swift water rescue teams from across Washington are actively assisting local resources with rescuing citizens in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties in response to the current flooding of several rivers in those areas, Deputy State Fire Marshall Courtney Chambers said Friday.
Teams from fire departments in Chelan, Spokane, Thurston and Yakima counties are working alongside local fire departments and other responders from federal, state, and local agencies to search for and rescue people stranded by floodwaters. Those rescue teams responded to requests from the State Fire Marshal’s Office after Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized use of the State Fire Service Mobilization Plan at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Chief Batiste’s authorization came at the request of multiple fire agencies in the affected counties. Mobilization resources are expected to be in place through the weekend.
This mobilization response to the current flood event is the 405th use of the Mobilization Plan since its inception in 1994. The All-Risk Mobilization program is managed by the Fire Prevention Division of the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office, a bureau within the Washington State Patrol.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office’s SNOHAWK10 helicopter, rescued five people and two dogs on Wednesday around 4pm off Mann Road in Sultan. This was in addition to “several” rescues of folks trapped in vehicles in flooded roadways early on Wednesday morning when it was still dark, the Sheriff’s Office continued.
“No reported injuries to anyone at this time due to flooding. Fire personnel has been absolutely essential and has been the lead in a majority of the water rescues across the county,” Courtney O’Keefe, Director of Communications for the Sheriff’s Office, told the Lynnwood Times.
The National Guard even assisted rescuing several people stranded on rooftops.
At Friday’s presser emergency responders reported successful rescues to be in the “dozens” as well, but there is currently no statewide data as local agencies continue to pool together their information.
There are multiple road closures in the area with signs in place. For a full list of statewide road closures click this link.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
