Ferndale prepares for floodwaters as Nooksack River nears record depth
Torrential rains from an atmospheric river eased Thursday morning as the Nooksack River crested near Nugents Corner at record levels and surged downstream toward Ferndale after inundating Everson, Nooksack and Sumas on Wednesday for the third time in the past six years.
Floodwaters and record rainfall closed many roads in rural Whatcom County, including Badger Road at Highway 9 and the U.S.-Canada border crossing at Sumas, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
As many as 1,500 people could be displaced, but it was too soon to have an accurate figure, Amy Cloud at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management told The Bellingham Herald.
“(We) don’t know yet how many homes and businesses are under water, though we have begun surveying to try to find out many of those who’ve had to leave their homes need shelter. It will take time to determine how many structures are impacted; right now our top priority and immediate concern is to ensure people get the information they need to be safe and to assist cities with resources to respond to the flooding,” Cloud said in an email.
No deaths or injuries were immediately reported, she said.
Schools were closed Thursday in the Ferndale, Mount Baker and Nooksack Valley districts. Lummi Nation School also is closed.
Everson City Hall was flooded and inaccessible.
“The Nooksack will crest in Everson in the next two hours, but flows will remain high through Thursday afternoon (and) evening,” the city of Everson said in a Thursday morning Facebook post. “Unfortunately, this is looking a lot like the 2021 flood. As daylight comes, we’ll assess and update. Currently, no overflow at Everson Road, but Twinview levee is overtopping, and Everson Road will start to see water soon. All roads north of the Nooksack bridge in Everson remain closed until further notice.”
Two separate floods in November 2021 caused more than $150 million in damage countywide and killed an Everson man, according to previous Herald reporting.
Closed roads, water rescues
Whatcom County officials continued to plead with motorists to avoid driving past road closure signs and across flooded roads.
“With various road closures throughout Whatcom County, please be extra aware if traveling tonight,” the Whatcom County Public Works Department said online. “Slow down and use caution when standing water is present on any road. It’s even harder to tell how deep it is after dark. Do not drive around road closed signs — doing so puts you and our first responders at risk. If water is over the roadway, the safest move is to turn around and find an alternate route — even if no sign is present yet. Our crews are getting to them as quickly as possible.”
Firefighters at departments in several Whatcom County communities were called to water rescues late Wednesday and through the morning Thursday. Serious crashes were reported Wednesday on Interstate 5 and the Mount Baker Highway, but it wasn’t immediately known if they were weather-related.
Near Nugents Corner, the Nooksack River crested early Thursday at 150 feet — above the record of 149.6 feet set in November 2006 — and was flowing faster than 62,000 cubic feet per second. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for Deming, Everson, Sumas and Ferndale.
Flood preparations in Ferndale
In Ferndale, the Nooksack River crossed flood stage at 18 feet early Thursday, and hit moderate flood stage of 20.5 feet just before noon, according to the Northwest River Forecast Center. It was heading toward major flood stage at 23 feet, a peak that was expected early Friday morning.
Ferndale Mayor Greg Hansen told The Herald that officials were working around the clock to coordinate disaster response.
“Public works has been preparing and positioning barricades and signage to close roads and warn about water over the roadway. They have been building berms at the BNSF Railroad trestle on Bass Street and at sewer pump station on Main Street at the bridge, sandbagging around critical city infrastructure and working on issues related to localized flooding related to rainfall,” Hansen said in an email.
“As city crews continue to prepare for a flood fight, others are notifying residents in flood-prone areas to be prepared to evacuate if necessary, and city staff will continue to monitor weather and river forecasts throughout the event. I encourage Ferndale residents to check on their neighbors, to check road closures before they leave their homes, to not drive around road closed barricades and to use patience while driving,” he said.
Megan Juenemann, spokeswoman for the city of Ferndale, told The Herald at 8 a.m. Thursday that the river was still rising.
“At this time, we are not seeing water overtopping the levees in Ferndale. Our crews are monitoring levees, pump stations and areas historically prone to flooding. (Wednesday), the city was experiencing localized urban flooding in spots — primarily storm-drain related — which subsided throughout the night. As of (Thursday) morning, Portal Way is no longer flooded and continue to monitor weather and levels,” Juenemann said in an email.
A public sandbag station is at the Phillips 66 baseball fields gravel lot at the end of Second Avenue in Ferndale.
“Police, Fire, Public Works and partner agencies have augmented staffing beginning early Thursday morning. Crews are pre-positioned at key points, including strengthening the berm at Bass Street and preparing for potential road impacts. Ferndale Road is expected to close soon due to water over the roadway,” Juenemann said.
Ferndale’s Emergency Operations Center was activated and is coordinating with the Whatcom County EOC, whose staff has English- and Spanish-language capabilities, she said.
“The mood among teams is steady, focused and collaborative. Staff have been working long hours, but operations are running smoothly, with agencies sharing resources and maintaining strong communication. We will continue monitoring river conditions throughout the night and will issue updated information as needed,” Juenemann said.
Why so much water?
Bellingham saw 4.57 inches of rain in the first 10 days of the month, including record rainfall of 2.28 inches on Wednesday, according to National Weather Service data recorded at Bellingham International Airport. Normal monthly December rainfall is 4.33 inches.
Higher amounts were recorded elsewhere in the Whatcom County lowlands and foothills, according to readings from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.
Rainfall amounts of 10 inches or more were predicted over that period in the North Cascades. Warm temperatures melted the mountain snowpack, contributing to river runoff.
At the Mt. Baker Ski Area, the snowbase was 4 inches on Thursday at Heather Meadows, after it had been above 20 inches on Monday.
Weather forecast
A relatively dry day was forecast for Thursday, with scattered showers in the Whatcom County lowlands.
“Throughout the day today, rainfall accumulations will be light across the lowlands, topping out at roughly half an inch or less of additional rain,” the National Weather Service said in its online forecast discussion.
Drier conditions were expected through Sunday, but rivers and streams will remain high.
“Some rivers that are slower to respond, including the Nooksack, Skagit and Snohomish, will take a few more days to fully crest and lower below flood stage. Expect significant flooding impacts to continue over at least the next several days,” the weather service said.
“With very wet antecedent soil conditions, the landslide threat across the region has increased with this system,” the weather service said.
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 8:37 AM with the headline "Ferndale prepares for floodwaters as Nooksack River nears record depth."
