Ferguson declares state of emergency, deploys National Guard to areas of western Washington flooding, Sumas and Everson under voluntary evacuation, Updated road closures in Whatcom County, Little Squalicum Pier closed following development of sinkholes, Amtrak pauses service to Canada
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KMRE brings you local news for Thursday, December, 11th. Good afternoon, I’m ______. It’s a wild day in Whatcom County. Here’s your 2025 Flood Update.
STORY: Ferguson declares state of emergency, deploys National Guard to areas of western Washington flooding
Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency following major flooding across Washington.
Ferguson also requested an expedited federal emergency declaration to access additional life-safety and recovery resources. The National Guard has been activated, and the state is coordinating with local, tribal, and federal partners, including FEMA and the National Weather Service.
Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation—12 Representatives and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell— have urged President Donald Trump to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for an expedited federal Emergency Declaration as catastrophic flooding sweeps the state.
The National Weather Service warns of “catastrophic” river flooding in parts of Northwest Washington and widespread flooding from Bellingham to south of Olympia. State officials have ordered “GO NOW” evacuations for the Skagit River valley’s entire 100-year floodplain. Ferguson estimates up to 100,000 residents could face evacuation.
Governor Ferguson also urges residents to follow county and emergency management alerts and evacuate if ordered.
STORY: Sumas and Everson under voluntary evacuation
Sumas (SOO-mass), Everson, and surrounding communities remain in an active flood emergency as the Nooksack River crested at record levels early this morning and is expected to remain dangerously high through the day.
Officials with Whatcom Ready, a community initiative partnered with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management, say waters exceed levels seen during the devastating mid-November 2021 floods. They have now activated its emergency operations center to coordinate response efforts county-wide.
Overnight, the National Weather Service upgraded the flood forecast from “moderate” to “major,” with reports of a mudslide on Silver Lake Road, a landslide in Kendall damaging one home, several bridge closures, levee overtopping, and potential damage to the Twin View dike.
In Sumas, the Sumas river was still rising as of 8:50 this morning, with all routes in and out closed, including E Badger, Halverstick, Garrison, and Clearbrook Roads. The border crossing is closed and personnel were evacuated after floodwaters covered Badger Road at Van Buren. The Nooksack River at North Cedarville peaked above 150 feet early Thursday, breaking previous records and flooding levees near Everson and Sumas.
Multiple streets in Nooksack are closed and a sewer system outage has been reported—residents are advised not to use showers or flush toilets.
Everson remains under a voluntary evacuation advisory for areas north of the Nooksack River bridge as floodwaters continue to rise. Roads north of the bridge and key local routes remain closed due to overtopping and flood impacts. Officials continue to urge residents in flood-threatened areas to move to higher ground.
KMRE reporter Suzanne Blais talked with local residents via phone. Joy Monjure (mon-JURY) lives in Everson on Everson Road, just south of the Nooksack River Bridge.
MONJURE 1
Upriver at Glacier, resident Tyler Warne (WORN) checked in as well.
TYLER AUDIO 1
Downriver at Ferndale, levees are currently holding and the river is expected to crest between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. today. The County says crews are monitoring the situation 24/7. Residents in low-lying areas urged to take action now. Public sandbag distribution is available at the south end of Second Avenue.
Whatcom County crews are actively monitoring river gauges and flood-prone zones, as saturated soils increase the risk of landslides and debris flows.
Voluntary evacuations remain in place and shelters are open countywide. If your home has been displaced by flooding, contact the Whatcom County Flood Response Call Center for shelter coordination. The county has activated emergency shelter placement assistance — contact emergency management for referrals.
Community-supported shelters in Lynden and other towns are open as flood impacts grow. Lighthouse Mission Ministries in Bellingham is open to those who need overnight shelter. The Ferndale Severe Weather Shelter, the United Church of Ferndale on Washington Street and Good News Fellowship on Axton Rd. also offer shelter and support.
Free sand and sandbags are available at the County Northwest Annex on Northwest Drive. For those who need sandbags in Skagit County, please reach out to the county’s division of emergency management.
Residents who cannot leave on their own may call emergency services for assistance with evacuation.
Everyone is urged to stay alert as conditions are expected to get worse in some locations and things can shift rapidly.
STORY: Updated road closures in Whatcom County
Local and county agencies report dozens of road closures across the county due to high water levels, overtopping creeks, and runoff from the Nooksack River and tributaries.
Local reporting notes more than 30 road segments impacted or closed, including rural roads near Everson, Lynden, Bellingham, and surrounding areas. According to the County, the following roads are closed due to water over the roadway and unsafe travel conditions:
- Slater Road is closed.
- Hannegan Road is closed between Van Dyk Road and Lynden city limits.
- Marshall Hill Road is closed east of Cronk Road.
- Sunset Avenue is closed between Graveline Road and Pacific Highway.
There are many other closures scattered across county connectors. Many more may not be officially closed but have standing water over the roadway and are hazardous. These include:
- Innis Creek Road (south of Doran (DOOR-un) Road)
- Aldrich Road (AL-dritch) multiple sections
- Central Road, Bruce Road, E Boundary Road, Deming (DEM-ing) Road, Douglas Road
- Deeter Road, Dewey Road and others
Some city streets in Bellingham have water on or over them, which include low points and underpasses. Residents are urged to avoid driving through water.
There are no widely confirmed closures of major state highways in Whatcom County solely due to flooding at this moment. However, conditions remain hazardous and subject to rapid change, and isolated segments have seen water over the roadway or are being monitored.
Public works crews emphasize that road conditions can change rapidly as river levels rise. Never drive through standing water — turn around, don’t drown.
STORY:
In more flood-related news, school closures have been announced for:
Ferndale
Nooksack
Mt. Baker
Concrete
La Conner
Mt. Vernon
And Sedro Woolley.
All campuses of the Skagit Valley College are also closed.
The Northwest Indian College campus is also closed.
However, Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College, and BTC remain open.
Everson City Hall closed due to heavy flood damage; all roads north of Robinson Street and north of the Nooksack River Bridge closed.
STORY: Little Squalicum Pier closed following development of sinkholes
Bellingham’s Little Squalicum Pier is closed until further notice after large sinkholes appeared at its entrance early yesterday.
Officials say high weekend tides and wave action likely caused the damage. Chain-link fencing and warning signs are in place until the pier is safe for public use.
STORY: Amtrak pauses service to Canada
Amtrak has announced suspension of train service between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada today and tomorrow.
Alternate bus transportation may also not be available, however, at this time, all trains south of Seattle are running normally.
If the river subsides enough, Amtrak Cascades trains will resume operations between Seattle and Vancouver Canada on Saturday.
WX: Rainstorm: For Good
And now for the weather:
Today should be primarily cloudy, with some errant showers scattered throughout. Daytime highs will be slightly lower from yesterday, topping out in the low 50s. The National Weather Service says we can expect the evening to be quietly overcast as well, with precipitation of under a tenth of an inch and lows in the mid-40s.
The mild drizzles should continue tomorrow, as we hopefully bring an end to this week’s flooding— for now, at least.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers Carlos Braga (BRA-guh), Connor O’Boyle, Kyler Cantrell, Glen Hirshberg (HERSH-berg), Kathi O’Shea (o-SHAY), and Kai Blais-Schmolke (KAI BLAZE-SHMOLE-kee). Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p.m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by your donations. To help support what we do, check out our Patreon, Substack, or visit kmre.org and click on the banner. I’m _________, and thanks for listening!
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