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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n