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In photos: Flooding in Western Washington state forces thousands to evacuate

NPR | By NPR Staff
Published December 12, 2025 at 1:38 PM EST
Neighbors watch as Gages Slough overflows and floods a street in Burlington, Wash., on Friday.
Megan Farmer
/
KUOW
Neighbors watch as Gages Slough overflows and floods a street in Burlington, Wash., on Friday.

Back-to-back atmospheric rivers brought heavy rains, strong winds and catastrophic flooding to parts of Northwest Oregon and Western Washington state this week. Flood watches and warnings remain in effect in Western Washington after days of heavy rains.

According to KUOW, "tens of thousands of Washingtonians remain under evacuation advisories, including about 78,000 people in Skagit County's flood plain." Visit their live blog for more updates.

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Here are images of the areas affected by the flooding:

Copyright 2025 NPR

National Guard members gather at the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department before assisting in evacuations as floodwaters rise in Burlington, Wash., on Friday.
Megan Farmer / KUOW
/
KUOW
National Guard members gather at the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department before assisting in evacuations as floodwaters rise in Burlington, Wash., on Friday.
Eric Gustin paddles to dry land after rescuing one of several chickens from a flooded coop in Burlington, Wash., on Friday.
Stephen Brashear / AP
/
AP
Eric Gustin paddles to dry land after rescuing one of several chickens from a flooded coop in Burlington, Wash., on Friday.
Water from the Skagit River floods farms and homes near Lyman, Wash., on Thursday.
Stephen Brashear / AP
/
AP
Water from the Skagit River floods farms and homes near Lyman, Wash., on Thursday.
A golden retriever named Princess is brought to safety on a kayak by residents at a flooded apartment complex near the Skykomish River in Monroe, Wash., on Thursday.
Megan Farmer / KUOW
/
KUOW
A golden retriever named Princess is brought to safety on a kayak by residents at a flooded apartment complex near the Skykomish River in Monroe, Wash., on Thursday.
Dennis Reasbeck has lived in Skagit County for decades and he has never had to evacuate because of flooding, but now he is fortifying his house before leaving town on Thursday.
Mitch Borden / KNKX
/
KNKX
Dennis Reasbeck has lived in Skagit County for decades and he has never had to evacuate because of flooding, but now he is fortifying his house before leaving town on Thursday.
A park in Mount Vernon, Wash., floods as the Skagit River rises on Thursday.
Mitch Borden / KNKX
/
KNKX
A park in Mount Vernon, Wash., floods as the Skagit River rises on Thursday.
Jason Prescott puts filled sand bags into his vehicle in Mount Vernon, Wash., on Thursday.
Megan Farmer/KUOW /
Jason Prescott puts filled sand bags into his vehicle in Mount Vernon, Wash., on Thursday.
A person drives through flood waters from the Snohomish River in Snohomish, Wash., on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders Thursday after days of heavy rain forced rivers to burst their banks.
Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images
/
AFP via Getty Images
A person drives through flood waters from the Snohomish River in Snohomish, Wash., on Thursday. Tens of thousands of people were under evacuation orders Thursday after days of heavy rain forced rivers to burst their banks.
Maery Schine, 11, is helped out of a rescue boat by rescue workers with the Chehalis Fire Department after evacuating with her father, Patric (second from left), following flooding in Chehalis, Wash., on Tuesday.
Lindsey Wasson / AP
/
AP
Maery Schine, 11, is helped out of a rescue boat by rescue workers with the Chehalis Fire Department after evacuating with her father, Patric (second from left), following flooding in Chehalis, Wash., on Tuesday.

Corrected: December 12, 2025 at 4:56 PM EST
This story has been updated to reflect the conditions in Northwest Oregon at the time of publication.
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