Washington flooding forces city to evacuate as rivers top highs

National Guard troops went door to door early Friday to evacuate a farming city north of Seattle as severe flooding throughout western Washington stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped homes from their foundations.

- BY CEDAR ATTANASIO AND CLAIRE RUSH

Gov. Bob Ferguson, who has warned that as many as 100,000 people would need to evacuate statewide, said Friday the Trump administration has approved a disaster declaration.

Days of torrential rain have swelled rivers to record or near-record levels. Officials issued “go now” orders Wednesday to tens of thousands of residents in the Skagit River flood plain, including in the city of Burlington, home to nearly 10,000 people. By Friday morning, muddy water overflowed a slough and rushed into homes, prompting more urgent warnings.

“ALL RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF BURLINGTON SHOULD EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY,” Skagit County wrote on social media.

By late morning, the evacuation order was lifted for part of the city, police department spokesperson Michael Lumpkin said.

The Skagit River drains a wide swath of the rugged Cascade Range before winding west across broad, low-lying farmlands on its way to Puget Sound. Cities like Burlington sit on that flat stretch between the mountains and the sea, leaving them especially vulnerable to floods.