Skagit River Flood - December 2025

WATER CONSERVATION REQUEST

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Governor Ferguson declares statewide emergency responding to major flooding

CAMP MURRAY — Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency today following major flooding across Washington. That declaration is available here.

“I have declared a statewide emergency, and I will be requesting an expedited emergency declaration from the federal government today,” Governor Bob Ferguson said. “We need the federal government to grant that request. This situation is extremely serious. The next few days are critical. I want to encourage all Washingtonians to listen carefully to alerts from your county and emergency management departments. If you receive an evacuation order, please follow that order. It’s critical to your safety. Thank you to all the first responders who are in the field helping Washingtonians.”

The state emergency declaration allows the state to seek federal funds for recovery. An expedited emergency declaration from the federal government will allow access to life, safety and emergency protective measures and additional federal resources.

Governor Ferguson has also activated the National Guard. Washington state is in regular contact with local governments, tribal governments and federal partners, including the National Weather Service, FEMA Region 10 and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The governor will be visiting impacted communities in the coming days.

Travelers should consult the Washington State Department of Transportation’s real-time travel map: Travel Center Map | WSDOT

Sign up for emergency alerts here: Alerts | Washington State Military Department

Press conference photos are available here. Video is available here.


UPDATE | 12/10/25 | 5:25 PM

The Oak Harbor Parks and Recreation department had to close the lower parking lot at Fort Nugent and the walking trail at Freund Marsh, due to standing water. The team installed barricades at the entrance to each area and installed signs stating the closure.thumbnail_20251210_151112

We will be monitoring the situation and will remove the barricades once the standing water has subsided.

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go NOTICE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

City of Oak Harbor Activates Emergency Operations Center at Level 3 in Response to Skagit River Flooding
 

Oak Harbor – December 10, 2025 - The City of Oak Harbor has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Level 3 as of 11:00 AM on December 10, 2025, in response to projected historic flooding along the Skagit River. A Level 3 activation is the lowest activation level, which means the City will be monitoring and maintaining situational awareness of Skagit County.

Skagit County is currently experiencing widespread flooding, resulting in multiple road closures, school cancellations, and disruptions to services and activities.

“This is a serious situation,” said Mayor Wright. “Please keep yourself and your family safe by staying out of the area while roads are being cleared. I also want our community to know that City services may be impacted during this time, because we have City employees who live in Skagit County and are not able to drive safely to Oak Harbor.”

Oak Harbor Fire Chief, Travis Anderson is coordinating a task force to support response efforts in Skagit County.

The City understands there are many questions regarding the water supply to Oak Harbor. Oak Harbor receives its potable water from the City of Anacortes Water Treatment Plant located on the Skagit River in Mount Vernon. With river levels projected to reach record breaking flood stages over the next 48 hours, maintaining water supply reliability remains a key focus of the EOC.

“The Anacortes water treatment plant is expected to maintain operations with only limited interruptions, even with the projected flood levels. Out of an abundance of caution, the City of Oak Harbor is topping off our water reservoirs and preparing our limited groundwater backup supply,” said Public Works Director, Steve Schuller.

The City is asking residents and businesses to temporarily reduce large water usage until Friday night. It will help us preserve system capacity as conditions evolve. At this time, no water outages are anticipated, and the system is operating normally.

“Our teams are monitoring conditions closely and are in constant communication with our partners in Island and Skagit counties. The City will continue to provide regular updates throughout the next few days via the City website and social media platforms. The next official EOC update is scheduled for 4:00 PM on December 10, 2025,” said Communications Officer, Magi Aguilar.

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For information or media inquiries, contact Communications Officer, Magi Aguilar at maguilar@oakharbor.org.