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

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.

Western Washington state and Northwest Oregon could see more catastrophic flooding. The National Weather Service says flood watches and warnings remain in effect after days of heavy rains.

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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.

Here are images of the areas affected by the flooding:

National Guard members gather at the Burlington Parks and Recreation Department before assisting in evacuations as floodwaters rise in Burlington on Friday.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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