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Washington asks FEMA for emergency declaration as atmospheric rivers threaten Skagit County
Summary
Governor Bob Ferguson said Washington has asked FEMA for a federal emergency declaration as back-to-back atmospheric rivers drive record-level flooding and widespread highway closures; officials urged residents in flood zones to evacuate and said damage estimates are not yet available.
Governor Bob Ferguson said the state has asked the federal government for a declaration of emergency as back-to-back atmospheric rivers threaten communities from Lewis County to Yakima and Skagit County.
Ferguson said he spoke with FEMA and other federal partners following a press conference and that state officials were drafting and refining the request with military partners. "We're handling it as if that is the case because it is," he said, characterizing the situation as "very, very serious" and citing National Weather Service warnings that described the event as "potentially catastrophic." He said the administration expected to speak with FEMA again shortly and would update the public on any decision.
Why it matters: A federal emergency declaration unlocks additional federal funds and resources that can support search-and-rescue operations, sheltering and longer-term recovery for communities that the state says already face tens of thousands of evacuations and dozens of major highway closures.
The governor and state emergency officials said the number of major highway closures roughly doubled overnight to about 30–31 statewide and named SR 20 and SR 530 as closed in Skagit County. Ferguson asked other elected officials to press federal decision-makers as well, saying the state was working "to be as persuasive as we could" to obtain federal assistance.
State emergency management director Robert Ezell described the meteorological cause as back-to-back atmospheric rivers and said rivers have risen and could crest again. Ezell warned that the crest in Burlington and Mount Vernon could reach roughly two feet above previous record levels and that levees repaired after 2021 would be tested.
Officials stopped short of offering a damage total. "At this point, no," Ezell said when asked for an estimate; he added that it would likely take days to weeks of assessments after waters recede to compile a full accounting.
What's next: The governor said he planned further conversations with FEMA and hoped to hold another briefing the next day with experts to provide consolidated updates.
