On December 11, 2025 shortly after 8:30 am, the flood waters reached my house. I had arrived late last night unpacking from an archaeological excavation i was on near Olympia. We had flood and atmospheric river warnings down there but outside of heavy rain, we were’nt too impacted. The drive from Olympia to Sumas was uneventful outside of normal rush hour traffic and some weather delays. I got home around 8:30 pm, unpacked, and the skies had stopped crying.
After unpacking, i saw a piece of paper floating in a puddle of water out in the parking lot, it was an evacuation order. I checked in with a neighbor who was staying as were a handful of others. We all fared well during the 2021 flood that destroyed 3/4 of the town and this one shouldn’t be as bad, or so we thought.
Awoke at 4 am to flood sirens, i peered outside and it was dry, just puddles in the street. At 8:30 am i walked outside, streets relatively dry, just puddles, no rain in the sky. Heard on the news the Canadian / US border in Sumas was closed except for emergency vehicles. I walk into the house / office just to grab something, go back outside and the street is underwater. Within the hour our mailboxes were completely submerged, as were many houses half underwater. Neighbor said the river will crest by noon and then will recede. We watched as rabbits sought higher ground, seeking refuge at our building which was now a island. No way in and no way out of our parking lot (now underwater) nor the city.
Afternoon it started to recede. A neighbor’s house however, unfortunately half underwater, had a coast guard helicopter hovering above lowering down a hero. After whcih 2 baskets raised on the winch one by one carrying a neighbor from the house on 2nd street. Then they left the hero in the house and flew away. Another helicopter came in, lowered another basket, and saved another resident of the house. Then the winch lifted up the hero. That was the big excitement this afternoon.
Plenty of food and water in the house, power still on, though septic not allowing flushing … no waters entered our building although came close. We should be fine except being trapped for a few days until the roads drain and there is access in and out of the town. Hopefully, as long as no more heavy rains come I suppose.
A photo/video timelapse music video of Day 1 of the Nooksack River 2025 (12/11/25) flood in West Sumas, Washington on 2nd street west of the tracks. From the start of the flood to its recession, the wildlife seeking dry ground, lumber pallets floating down the street, our building becoming an island, the US/Canada border closed, and the Coast Guard airlifting three neighbors across the street. Photography/Videography by Thomas Baurley, Techno Tink Media. Music: The Nooksack Rises | Suno | Rowan | Techno Tink Media. https://technotink.net/adventures/?p=7954
The Nooksack Rises
tribal, world music
[Verse]
The river speaks in a voice so wild
A mother unbound
A storm’s lost child
Mailboxes drowned in a watery grave
Sumas stands where the waters crave
[Chorus]
The Nooksack rises
The earth it cries
No way in
No way out
Under blackened skies
The Nooksack rises
A flood of pain
The land remembers
The loss
The strain
[Verse 2]
Houses lean where the currents call
Walls once strong
Now brittle
Fall
Air rescues hum like dragonfly wings
In the chaos
The river sings
[Prechorus]
No borders now
No lines remain
The flood erases
It claims
It reigns
[Chorus]
The Nooksack rises
The earth it cries
No way in
No way out
Under blackened skies
The Nooksack rises
A flood of pain
The land remembers
The loss
The strain
[Bridge]
Timbers groan
The forest weeps
Roots undone where the water seeps
A circle of hands
We chant
We pray
To calm the river
To hold the sway
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