Washington state faces historic floods that have washed away homes and stranded families

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Days of torrential rain in Washington state has caused historic floods that have stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that even more flooding expected Friday could be catastrophic.

Washington is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders are in place for tens of thousands of residents. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged everyone to follow evacuation instructions as yet another river neared record levels.

“I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past," he said on the social platform X. "However, we’re looking at a historic situation.”

About 78,000 residents of a major agricultural region north of Seattle were ordered to evacuate the floodplain of the Skagit River, which was expected to crest Friday morning.

The floods were impacting large parts of the state, with several bridges flooded and some major roads inundated or washed out. Some roads had no alternate routes and no estimated reopening time, including a large part of state Route 410.

A landslide blocked part of Interstate 90 east of Seattle, with photos showing vehicles trapped by tree trunks, branches, mud and standing water.

In the north near the U.S.-Canada border, the cities of Sumas, Nooksack and Everson were evacuated after being inundated. The border crossing at Sumas was closed and Amtrak suspended trains between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.

Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch said much of the city has been “devastated” by the high waters just four years after a similar flood.

The Snohomish River surged nearly a foot (30 centimeters) higher than its record Thursday in the picturesque city that shares its name, while the Skagit River rose just above its record Thursday night in Mount Vernon, according to the National Water Prediction Service.

Earlier Thursday, the Skagit just missed its previous record as flooding surged through the mountain town of Concrete.

The waters stopped just short of getting inside Mariah Brosa's raised riverfront home in Concrete, but the raging river still slapped debris against her home and totaled her fiancé's work car, she said.

“I didn’t think it would come this high,” she said.

Flooding from the Skagit has long plagued Mount Vernon, the largest city in Skagit County with some 35,000 residents. Flooding in 2003 displaced hundreds of people.

A floodwall that protects downtown passed a major test in 2021, when the river crested near record levels. Water was at the foot of the floodwall as of late Thursday morning, Mayor Peter Donovan said.

In nearby Burlington, officials hoped dikes and other systems would protect their community from catastrophe, said Michael Lumpkin, with the police department.

Authorities across Washington state in recent days have rescued people from cars and homes after an atmospheric river soaked the region.

Helicopters rescued two families on Thursday from the roofs of homes in Sumas that had been flooded by about 15 feet (4.6 meters) of water, while the city's fire station had 3 feet (91 centimeters) of water, according Frank Cain JR., battalion chief for Whatcom County Fire District 14.

In nearby Welcome, erosion from the floodwaters caused at least two houses to collapse into the Nooksack River, he said. No one was inside at the time.

In a football field in Snoqualmie, a herd of elk swam and waded through neck-high water.

East of Seattle, residents along Issaquah Creek used water pumps as rushing floodwaters filled yards Thursday morning. Yellow tape blocked off a hazardous area along the creek.

Climate change has been linked to some intense rainfall. Scientists say that without specific study they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but in general it’s responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.

Another storm system is expected to bring more rain starting Sunday.

Rush reported from Portland, Oregon. Associated Press writers Gene Johnson and Hallie Golden in Seattle; Martha Bellisle in Issaquah, Washington; Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; and Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, contributed to this report.

Floodwaters surround barns in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

A semi-truck crosses a flooded street in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

A cow drinks from the flooded Snohomish River in Snohomish, Wash., Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

A n aerial view of a home and a barn surrounded by floodwaters in Snohomish, Wash., Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Catch by catch, Kyle Pitts Sr. put the mistake-prone Atlanta Falcons on his back and carried them to a thrilling comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Thursday night got even better for the fifth-year pro when the former University of Florida star learned his 11-reception, 166-yard, three-touchdown performance that keyed a 29-28 win was the most productive game by an NFL tight end in nearly three decades.

The previous tight end to finish with at least 10 catches, 150 yards receiving and three TDs in a game was Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe in 1996.

The 25-year-old Pitts noted he wasn't even born yet back then.

“Man, I love the state of Florida,” the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Pitts said as he stepped up to the podium in the visiting interview room at Raymond James Stadium.

“It means a lot,” he added about the mention of Sharpe. “It's a great person to be (compared to).”

Kurt Cousins targeted Pitts a team-high 12 times, leaning heavily on the young tight end with leading receiver Drake London out with a knee injury. Pitts scored on receptions of 8, 17 and 7 yards, the latter trimming what had once been a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to 28-26 with 3:34 remaining.

His last catch, on third-and-28 from the Atlanta 29, was for 14 yards. Cousins threw 21 yards to David Sills V on fourth-and-14 to set up Zane Gonzalez's 43-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.

“It was the plan, you know, all along. Kyle is our guy,” second-year Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “You're down a couple of your guys like Drake, some of those guys, and Kyle has really filled in that role and become the lead dog guy. He has done an awesome job.”

The Falcons (5-9) are eliminated from playoff contention, but they relished the opportunity to play spoiler against the division-rival Bucs (7-7), who are trying to win the NFC South for the fifth straight season.

“It's amazing. I mean, we've been having our ups and downs through the year,” Pitts said. “Obviously, it's not fun being eliminated early, but we're resilient. ... It was just pretty fun to get that win.”

The Falcons overcame a team-record 19 penalties for 125 yards. They also withstood a wide-open Sills dropping what would have been a go-ahead TD catch in the third quarter, as well as Bijan Robinson's third-quarter fumble that led to the touchdown that put Tampa Bay up by two scores early in the fourth.

“It's a steppingstone to where we want to go,” Morris said. “We talked about this, building blocks for what we've got to do. What we're talking about is next year. ... Only thing we can do right now is finish.”

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) leaps over Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien (29) during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) celebrates his touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (8) makes a touchdown catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)