‘Pretty scared.’ Yakima River surges past banks threatening RVs, livestock
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Yakima River rose past banks near West Richland and Benton City, prompting preparations.
- Residents and ranchers evacuated or moved livestock as waters threatened homes and farms.
- Lawmakers sought expedited emergency declarations while fire districts filled sandbags.
Hamilton Sivula and Eric Bruchman filled sandbags Thursday morning in West Richland in the face of rising floodwaters on the Yakima River.
“I saw the water line this morning, and I got pretty scared,” Sivula said as he leaned on the shovel for a moment while other family members cinched up the bags at the Hamilton Road fire station.
They filled 110 bags Wednesday at a West Richland fire station and planned to fill 110 more to build a 65-foot-long wall, about four bags high.
Residents along the lower Yakima River between Benton City and Richland watched the rising water with trepidation.
Overnight, the river rose above its banks and is expected to crest at 15.8 feet deep – the highest level in nearly 30 years.
It’s usually at 5 feet and by Thursday it was closer to 13 feet, according to the NOAA weather site. The river reached nearly 21 feet in 1996 and at 15.55 feet in 2009.
The flooding is being fed by an intense “atmospheric river” pounding Western Washington and sending rain across the Cascade Mountains. Areas near Naches and Yakima have been hit hard, forcing evaluations and even some rescues of folks stranded.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency Wednesday as thousands, especially in the Skagit Valley, were placed under evacuation orders. Fourteen Washington counties are under flood watches.
Temperatures in the Tri-Cities are expected to move into the 50s overnight Thursday while the wind calm. More rain is expected to hold off until the beginning of next week, according to the National Weather Service.
The rising water forced some residents out of a Benton City RV park, drove ranchers to move their stock away from low pasture lands and brought other people together.
Dozens stopped by the Benton County Fire District 4 sandbag station this week, Bruchman said. People helped each other fill sandbags as they prepared to wait out the rising water.
By Thursday, water covered a large area of the West Richland Golf Course near the clubhouse. The clubhouse and front nine holes of the course remained open for business despite the new temporary water hazard.
The links, situated on the banks of the Yakima River, are traditionally the early areas flooded when the river rises from snowmelt or heavy rainfall.
The boat launch area at Hyde Road in Richland also is now covered with floodwaters from the river and not accessible for use.
Brandon Alexander saw flooding on his family farm Thursday in West Richland. He was making plans to move his herd of horses to higher ground.
His family has farmed that land since the ‘80s, and this wasn’t the first time his family has dealt with the rising river.
Upriver in Benton City, residents were pulling their RVs out of the Beach RV park before the water came closer.
They’d already packed hundreds of sandbags in Benton City, and Benton County Fire District 2 was expecting another shipment.
U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, joined with other members of the House from Washington asking for an expedited emergency declaration because of the flooding on both sides of the state.
“This storm is threatening lives, property and livestock in every corner of Washington,” the delegation from Washington wrote. “The storm has had severe and widespread impacts on our transportation system, with major highways closed due to mudslides and communities cut off by riding water.”
Many in West Richland and Benton City can only watch as the waters rise. Mike Hinkley stood on the ramp looking over the Yakima River Gateway Park at the edge of West Richland.
The concrete pathway under the bridge was submerged under a muddy brown torrent. He’s lived in West Richland for 35 years, and has seen the floodwaters surge through the area during floods in 2009 and 1996.
The river lapped against the bottom of the girders, and carried logs and other vegetation. The paths down to the river were blocked off.
In the height of summer, the same stretch of river can be crossed on foot, and normally only reaches a few feet deep.
“Yesterday, I could walk on the sidewalk,” Hinkley said. “This is pretty unique this year. “
-Freelance photographer Scott Hunt contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 3:45 PM.