WA flooding closes dozens of highways; Governor seeks FEMA disaster declaration
Dec 11, 2025, 12:52 PM | Updated: 4:49 pm
A flooded road in western Washington. (Photo courtesy of KIRO Newsradio)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO Newsradio)
As parts of the state brace for major, if not historic, flooding, conditions continue to deteriorate on the roads, with the number of major highway closures doubling overnight.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said roughly 30 major highways are shut down, including SR 20 and SR 530 in Skagit County.
Meanwhile, Ferguson requested a disaster declaration from FEMA. Ferguson said he and top officials from our state spoke with FEMA on Wednesday.
“We have a more than compelling situation here,” Ferguson said at a news conference Thursday in Mount Vernon. “This is a potentially catastrophic event.”
Ferguson said he and his team described in detail what is going on in Washington.
“We walked through the numerous highway closures. We walked through the flood levels. We walked through tens of thousands of Washingtonians being evacuated,” Ferguson said. “We tried to be as persuasive as we could to our partners in the federal government that they need to approve that emergency right away.”
Ferguson said another conversation with FEMA was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
