Live Updates: Boating home on Skywall Drive

Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, December 10, 2025

EVERETT — Rivers in Snohomish County rose to record breaking heights on Thursday, causing devastating floods throughout the area. Rescues and evacuations were still underway, with many people stranded in cars and homes due to high water.

While floodwaters had begun to slowly recede Thursday afternoon on the Skykomish and Stillaguamish rivers, the National Weather Service predicts the Snohomish River to stay above its previous record height of 33.5 feet until 11 a.m. Friday.

Some Snohomish County residents evacuated while others used boats to return to their homes on Thursday as flooding from the atmospheric river that swept through Snohomish County and Western Washington this week continued to set records.

2:30 p.m.

Skywall Drive residents boat home

Ashley Evans hauled a tub out of the back of her forest green Tacoma, waiting to load household items into a boat for her husband Chaz McNabb to take back to their house on Skywall Drive near the Skykomish River.

She and her kids had evacuated the night before as floodwaters rose to 24 feet, covering their entire street with water. McNabb stayed home through the night, reporting to his family that the garage had taken in 2 feet of water, but the rest of the house had remained dry.

The family had been in the house for a decade, and while they were used to flooding, Evans said Wednesday’s flooding was the worst she’s experienced.

Sandwiched between the river and the elevated railroad tracks, families along the cul-de-sac had to decide to leave or stay the night, Evans said.

“Do we put up our ladders and everyone climb fences?” she said, reflecting on what had gone through her mind as the water rose. “It was pretty crazy.”

With a coffee cup in hand, and McNabb ready to push the boat to the deeper water at the corner of the street, Evans hopped in, ready to return home.

— Eliza Aronson

2 p.m.

Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue: 26 people rescued since Wednesday evening

From Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon, the agency has rescued 26 people, with most calls coming from the Tualco Valley, said Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue spokesperson Kaitlin King.

During the last operational period, Sky Valley Fire, Snohomish County Fire District No. 5, Snohomish County Fire District No. 4, Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue and North County Regional Fire Authority combined rescued 40 people and 15 pets.

— Jenna Millikan

1:13 p.m.

“Wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be”: Skykomish spills into Sultan

Outfitted in Redington waders, Bob Hammond stepped over a soggy pile of sandbags into the puddled floors of Red Pepper Pizzeria & Pasta in Sultan where he works as a driver.

Hammond was checking out the storefront, located at 301 Main Street, for the owner who was stuck in Duvall due to road closures. Living just a few blocks away from the building, Hammond had been in and out of the shop on Wednesday as the Skykomish River flooded the town.

“We spent two days trying to get ready for it,” he said, pointing to the tables and chairs stacked on stilts in the dining room. “It wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. That’s the best thing.”

Floodwater had crept up to the intersection of Main Street and Fourth Street in Sultan on Thursday morning. City staff expanded road closures due to the slow receding of water and the stormwater system operating above capacity, a city Facebook post stated on Thursday.

While the Skykomish River had begun to recede, the Sultan River, which meets the Skykomish River right near downtown Sultan, was beginning to rise, according to the city post.

Snohomish Public Utility District warned of the Sultan River rising on Wednesday night from water in the Spada Reservoir reaching the spillway and making its way downstream.

“They did a really good job of forecasting and reducing the effects of that,” said Seth Johnson. chief of Snohomish County Fire District 5. “I think that helped us in the long run.”

With the Skykomish River past its flooding crest, Johnson said the city is moving toward focusing on recovery efforts.

“But the danger is not over,” he said. “Rescuers are spread thin. Don’t drive through floodwaters. Make good choices.”

— Eliza Aronson

11 a.m.

City of Everett continues to watch Riverfront Boulevard

City crews are keeping a close eye on Riverfront Boulevard, city officials said in a Facebook post Thursday morning. The road is located within the Port Gardner and Lowell neighborhoods just east of I-5.

Forecasts showed the Snohomish River was expected to reach its peak in the lowlands around noon Thursday and stay at that level until late Friday morning. Flow rates, however, were expected to be lower than previously forecasted.

Projections showed water levels could reach the surface of Riverfront Boulevard at the low point, just north of the bridge into the Overlook at Riverfront, officials said. If water reaches the road surface, city crews may have to close the road, which could temporarily limit access to nearby homes.

The city is advising residents to stay away from floodwaters and away from the river’s edge.

“The force of water is great and unpredictable, along with the influence from tides,” city officials said. “It is not safe to stand or be near the water during flood stage.”

Rotary Park and Langus Riverfront Park are closed until further notice. Lowell-River Road is closed at Rotary Park.

As a precaution, city officials say residents who have a backwater valve should wait 10 to 15 minutes after rain stops before using water fixtures in their homes to reduce the chance of flooding.

— Jenna Peterson

10:20 a.m.

Skykomish River recedes Thursday after Wednesday’s crest

The Skykomish River reached peak flood stage near the town of Skykomish on Wednesday at 3:15 p.m., hours before the Snohomish and Stillaguamish rivers in the lowlands of Snohomish County surged later Wednesday night.

Gillian Esson moved to the small mountain town in 2008, and while she had seen flooding on the road near her house once, she had never seen something like the scene unfolding before her, she said over the phone Wednesday afternoon.

“To see the Sky when you’re standing in town, to be able to see the water over the railroad tracks or across the lawns. Normally, you know where the edge of the levee is and it’s down below, and to see the waves rolling along is just like, wow, it’s incredibly powerful,” she said.

Esson’s house is one of the highest in town and was still dry at the height of the flood, she said, but many of her neighbors weren’t as fortunate.

The Washington Department of Transportation shut down U.S. 2 in both directions at milepost 35 around noon on Wednesday, and it was still closed as of 10 a.m. Thursday. Going east, the highway was closed from milepost 57 to milepost 85 on Wednesday night.

The Skykomish was continuing to recede Thursday morning, measuring at 21.12 feet at 9:30 a.m. Light rain was falling, Esson said in a text.

— Eliza Aronson

7:44 a.m.

Available shelters

The American Red Cross is offering free sheltering, pets accepted, at the Evergreen State Fair Park in the 4-H Building.

There is also emergency stabling for livestock, excluding dogs, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. Contact Jeff Ritter: 425-309-2655.

More emergency stabling for livestock, excluding swine, is available at the Darrington Rodeo Grounds, 42109 SR 530 NE, Darrington, WA 9824. Contact Gabby Wesson (425) 407-2899. Stables are uncovered.

Call ahead for either location.

— Eliza Aronson

7:41 a.m.

Evacuation orders around the county

Evacuation orders were issued to the Three Rivers Mobile Home near State Route 522, Ebey Island, and Tualco near State Route 203, according to Snohomish County’s Safety Hub.

Downtown Sultan is under voluntary evacuation.

Check the county’s safety hub for updated information on road closures and evacuations at: https://bit.ly/snocoflooding.

— Eliza Aronson

7:33 a.m.

Snohomish River breaks record flows, Stillaguamish and Skykomish rivers above major flooding mark

The National Weather Service continued to issue and extend major flood warnings throughout Snohomish County as the region braced for the third day of conditions brought by the atmospheric river.

While the Skykomish River at Gold Bar crested around 4 p.m. Wednesday, the river is still 3 feet above the major flood stage at 22.01 feet as of 6:30 a.m., according to the weather service.

The river is expected to continue to fall throughout Thursday but isn’t forecast to reach below action level until 10 p.m. Friday.

The Snohomish River at Snohomish is beginning to peak and was recorded at a record-breaking 33.57 feet at 5 a.m. Thursday, according to the weather service. The river is forecasted to stay at around that height through 10 a.m. Friday.

The Stillaguamish River at Arlington is near predicted peak height, measuring 20.17 feet at 7:05 a.m. Thursday, according to the weather service. If forecasts continue, the river will continue to rise Thursday morning, cresting at 20.87 feet, just below its record of 21.3 feet, before dropping to below action level by 10 p.m. Thursday.

— Eliza Aronson

4:38 a.m.

Five adults, one child and multiple pets evacuated from Snohomish homes

Early Thursday morning, four rescue swimmers assisted in evacuating people from their homes on Lincoln Avenue in Snohomish, according to a Snohomish County Fire District No. 4 press release. The homes started taking in floodwaters late Wednesday evening.

The rescue swimmers used inflatable kayaks to evacuate five adults, one child, three dogs and three cats while other residents on Lincoln Avenue chose to shelter in place, the release said.

Snohomish County Fire District No. 4 urges individuals not to drive through floodwaters, have alternative routes available and, if possible, to stay home, the release said.

— Jenna Millikan

6:50 p.m.

Water at Spada Lake reaches spillway

Rain caused Spada Lake Reservoir to rise 15 feet in the span of two days, causing water levels to reach the Snohomish Public Utility District’s spillway near Culmback Dam.

The utility district was operating its Jackson Hydroelectric Project downstream of the dam at full capacity in an effort to aid flood control and was working with officials downstream in Sultan.

The water traveling through the spillway is discharged below Culmback Dam into the Sultan River, which then flows into the Skykomish River near downtown Sultan.

“Areas downstream of Culmback Dam should expect to see a rise in river levels due to the spill and an increase in river currents,” a press release said Wednesday night. “The spill event is expected to add to the flooding event caused by the Skykomish River.”

The spillway and dam are safe and being monitored, and the spillway is “performing exactly as designed,” said Scott Spahr, PUD manager of generation operations and engineering.

– Eliza Aronson

3:40 p.m.

Snohomish Public Utility District’s Spada Lake approaches spillway, power outage repairs delayed

Snohomish Public Utility District said that water was approaching its spillway at Culmback Dam as water levels rose on Spada Lake, PUD spokesperson Erica Keene said in an email.

Spada Lake empties into the Sultan River, which then flows into the Skykomish River near Sultan.

“We are operating the Jackson Hydroelectric Project at full capacity to minimize spill and help with flood control efforts,” she said. “The spillway allows excess water to safely exit the reservoir before it reaches the top of the dam. Culmback Dam is safe and is being monitored 24 hours a day by PUD staff.”

A press release will be sent out when the utility begins spilling.

Power outage repairs will be delayed due to floods, making some roads inaccessible, Keene said in a follow-up email. An outage in Index is currently unreachable.

“We anticipate this could take days to get in and be able to make repairs,” she said.

Correction: The utility district does not open the spillway. Water will begin flowing through the spillway once it reaches a certain height.

– Eliza Aronson

3:30 p.m. Wednesday

State fire response authorized

Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state resources Wednesday afternoon to assist with flooding in Snohomish and Skagit counties, the agency announced in a press release.

The request came from fire officials for Snohomish County Fire District No. 5, Snohomish County Fire District No. 26, Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue and Skagit County Fire District No. 14.

The state fully activated its emergency operations center at Camp Murray to help coordinate state assistance. Fire Protection Bureau mobilization specialists ordered four swift water rescue teams to help with response efforts.

— Jenna Peterson