‘Catastrophic flooding’ in North America’s Pacific Northwest as rains ease

Intense downpours were swept into the region this week by an ‘atmospheric river’ storm system from the Pacific Ocean.Published On 12 Dec 2025Intense rains that triggered “catastrophic flooding” in North America’s Pacific Northwest have finally eased, though meteorologists warn the effects of overflowing rivers and floodwaters will continue to be felt for several days.Tens of thousands of people were told to evacuate on Thursday across the US states of Oregon and Washington, up through the Canadian province of British Columbia, after rainstorms battered the region for several days, causing rivers to burst their banks.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Climate change will make the world “much nastier place”list 2 of 3Indonesia’s Aceh families struggle as floods leave villages in ruinslist 3 of 3Baby dies of exposure in flooded tent as Storm Byron batters Gazaend of listWestern Washington state has borne the greatest brunt of the storm, with roughly 100,000 residents under “Level 3” evacuation orders.State authorities have ordered people living south of the cities of Seattle and Tacoma to leave their homes, with aerial photographs showing farmland already under water, and populated areas perilously close.In the city of Orting, south of Seattle, authorities warned there is a “significant threat to life and or property”.There have been no reports of casualties or missing people due to the flooding, according to Karina Shagren, spokesperson for Washington’s emergency management division.Rescue personnel prepare to evacuate residents from a home in an area flooded by the Snohomish River, as an atmospheric river brings rain and flooding to the Pacific Northwest, in Snohomish, Washington, US, on December 11, 2025 [David Ryder/Reuters]Across the border in British Columbia, swaths of the Canadian city of Abbotsford, east of Vancouver, were swamped as of Thursday night, with hundreds of properties at risk.