Overnight December 11-12: Emergency crews performed swift water rescues as floodwaters rose higher.[2] Nearly 100,000 evacuated; many in shelters, others filling sandbags at 6:00 AM local time December 12.[2] Forecasters warn 'the worst is yet to come' with additional rainfall expected through weekend.[2] Builds on prior statewide emergency for 75,000 evacuations, now worsened.[2]

Washington Floods: 100K Evacuated, Rescues Underway

Washington State Floods Force 100K Evacuations as Rains Pound Pacific Northwest

December 12, 2025 • 2 min read • usa , flooding

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Catastrophic flooding in Washington State displaced nearly 100,000 residents overnight into December 12, 2025, with emergency rescues ongoing and forecasters warning worst yet to come amid relentless rains.

Overview

Washington Stateshington" class="inline-tag-link">Washington State declared a statewide emergency as flooding worsened overnight on December 11-12, 2025, forcing nearly 100,000 from homes. Swift water rescues continued Friday morning amid rising rivers, with shelters overflowing and residents sandbagging dams. This follows earlier declarations, now escalated with more rain forecast.[2]

Key Developments

Overnight December 11-12: Emergency crews performed swift water rescues as floodwaters rose higher.[2]
Nearly 100,000 evacuated; many in shelters, others filling sandbags at 6:00 AM local time December 12.[2]
Forecasters warn 'the worst is yet to come' with additional rainfall expected through weekend.[2]
Builds on prior statewide emergency for 75,000 evacuations, now worsened.[2]

Analysis

Factor	Current Status	Implications
Economic	Dam reinforcements, shelter costs mounting	Billions in damages projected, federal aid requests incoming
Political	Statewide emergency active	Governor to seek national guard, FEMA support
Social	100K displaced, rescues ongoing	Community resilience tested; health risks in shelters rise

Expert Reactions

"Others are filling up sandbags to protect their homes and reinforced dams," reported NBC News correspondents on scene December 12 morning.[2]

What's Next

More rain through December 13; peak flooding possible Saturday. FEMA assessment teams deploying Friday afternoon.