Washington is under a state of emergency after days of torrential rain have caused historic floods, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Flood warnings in the western part of the state have put 100,000 residents in Skagit and Snohomish counties under Level 3 evacuation orders, meaning they were told to leave now.
Governor Bob Ferguson cautioned everyone to follow evacuation instructions as flooding could reach catastrophic levels on Friday.
On the Skagit River, for example, the river will be cresting [Friday] mid-morning. Again, that is expected to be historic level on that river, he told CNN.
Thats still the threat were under, really across Washington state and many counties right now.
Near the US-Canada border, the mayor of Sumas said much of the city has been devastated by the high waters.
Several bridges across the state have been flooded, and major roads have been washed out. Families have been helicopter-rescued from their roofs, and at least two houses have been ripped from their foundations.
Follow along for the latest updates.
Washing under state of emergency during historic flooding
Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency due to the historic flooding in Washington.
'I have declared a statewide emergency, and I will be requesting an expedited emergency declaration from the federal government today,' Ferguson said on Wednesday.
'We need the federal government to grant that request. This situation is extremely serious. The next few days are critical.
'I want to encourage all Washingtonians to listen carefully to alerts from your county and emergency management departments. If you receive an evacuation order, please follow that order. It's critical to your safety. Thank you to all the first responders who are in the field helping Washingtonians.'
Nearly 100,000 residents in Skagit and Snohomish counties are under Level 3 evacuation orders, meaning they were told to 'leave now.'
The Snohomish River surged nearly a foot higher than its record on Thursday, while the Skagit River rose just above its record Thursday night in Mount Vernon, according to the National Water Prediction Service.
Floods expected to surpass 1990 record
The flooding in western Washington is forecast to surpass the 1990 record, KUOW reported.
From November 21 to November 26 in 1990, floods caused two fatalities, over 2,000 evacuations and more than $100 million in damage, according to a Natural Disaster Survey report.
Pictured: Flooding on December 11, 2025
MAP: Historic flooding in Washington
Evacuation ordered for Burlington
Skagit County ordered all residents of the city of Burlington to evacuated immediately Friday morning.
'Gages Slough is flooding into homes in Burlington. ALL RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF BURLINGTON SHOULD EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY,' officials wrote on Facebook.
'The National Guard is going door to door to notify residents and help evacuate. Two new shelters opened last night including at Bayview Elementary.'
Over 7,000 without power in Washington
Over 7,000 customers are without electricity Friday morning in Washington, according to PowerOutage.us.
It comes after intense downpours swept the state this week, causing historic levels of flooding.
California sends rescue teams to Washington
California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed search and rescue teams to help with flood recovery efforts in Washington.
'When our neighbors are in crisis, California doesn't hesitate to lend our support,' he wrote on X.
'That's why I'm deploying @Cal_OES Urban Search & Rescue teams to Washington State to help protect lives amid the ongoing severe flooding impacting the state.'
