Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday after an intense atmospheric river brought relentless rainfall, mudslides, and severe flooding across the Pacific Northwest. The storm, which arrived a day earlier, washed out roads, submerged vehicles, and caused extensive damage in multiple counties.
Ferguson explained that the declaration would enable the state to secure federal disaster assistance and respond more swiftly to escalating risks. He also requested an expedited federal emergency declaration and activated the Washington National Guard. By Wednesday night, 100 guard members were expected to be deployed, with 300 more joining by the following day.
The plea for help from the Trump administration comes months after Ferguson publicly pushed back against federal threats tied to Washington’s sanctuary policies. Despite political tensions, the governor emphasized the urgency of protecting residents amid fast-moving weather threats.
Heavy rainfall over mountain watersheds has caused major rivers—including the Carbon, Cedar, Elwha, and Snohomish—to surge toward near-record levels. The Seattle Times reported that communities from Mount Rainier to Mount Baker face risks to homes, farms, and livestock.
Farmers near Fall City described this flooding as highly unusual. Ryan Lichttenegger shared that although his area is used to rising waters, the rapid flooding of his barn was unlike anything he had experienced, lamenting the losses so close to the holiday season.
While northwest Oregon saw some relief as the heaviest rainfall shifted north, meteorologists noted that parts of the Cascades were experiencing rain rates nearing half an inch per hour. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle issued warnings about rapidly rising river levels and cautioned drivers not to attempt crossing flooded roadways.
This atmospheric river—stretching more than 3,500 miles from near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to Hawaii—is categorized as an AR5, the highest intensity level. Experts say it is one of the strongest and longest-lasting events in the region since 1959, arriving during a period of ongoing drought in Washington.
Forecasters predict 2 to 4 inches of rain in lower elevations, with up to 10 inches in the Cascades, along with wind gusts reaching 45 mph. Northwest Wyoming is also expected to receive more than a foot of new snow as the storm pushes inland.
Since Monday, mountain ranges in Washington and northwest Oregon have recorded 5 to 10 inches of rainfall. Steep terrain and areas previously affected by wildfires are especially vulnerable to landslides and debris flows, according to NWS Seattle.
Along the I-5 corridor between Seattle and Portland, firefighters rescued five people trapped after attempting to drive through flooded roads. Police teams went door to door in threatened neighborhoods, evacuating a mobile home park along the Snohomish River.
Meteorologists warn conditions will continue to deteriorate as the atmospheric river—described as a “jet stream of moisture” crossing the Pacific—maintains a direct trajectory toward the coasts of Oregon and Washington.
