Lummi Nation declares state of emergency; floodwaters crest in Ferndale
Lummi Nation declared a state of emergency Thursday evening as Ferndale officials urged people to leave flood-prone areas and waited for the Nooksack River to crest toward midnight with floodwaters that had already devastated communities farther upstream.
Floodwaters topped the river’s east berm on Slater Road and Marine Drive, leaving Lummi tribal members with only a single access point.
“Our highest priority is ensuring the safety and health of our tribal members, especially elders and youth,” Lummi Chairman Anthony Hillaire said in a statement. “This state of emergency authorizes us to coordinate with Whatcom County, Washington state and federal partners for assistance. We’re working with all authorities right now to care for our people.”
No flood-related deaths or injuries were reported in Lummi Nation, the Nooksack Tribe or Whatcom County, officials with those governments told The Bellingham Herald or posted on social media.
“I do know that there have been dozens of calls for rescue and that volunteer and professional search and rescue from the Sheriff’s Office and federal partners responded,” Amy Cloud of the Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management told The Herald in an email.
A video posted at the Whatcom Ready page on Facebook showed U.S. Border Patrol agents using a tractor to rescue a semi truck driver stranded in high water.
“As far as East County (goes), we are just waiting for the water to recede,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Deb Slater told The Herald in a phone call.
Schools were closed Friday in Lummi Nation, Ferndale and Nooksack Valley. Mount Baker schools were operating on a 90-minute delay.
Officials in cities throughout Whatcom County told The Bellingham Herald that operations were shifting from response to recovery after widespread flooding that mirrored the disasters of 2020 and 2021.
“It’s been a long two days. We’re hanging in, but it’s pretty tough,” Mayor John Perry of Everson told The Herald in a phone call. Large parts of Everson, Nooksack and Sumas were inundated after the Nooksack River topped levees and banks Wednesday afternoon.
An unknown number of residents were displaced in riverside communities, and officials said it was too early to estimate the scope of destruction. More than $150 million in damages were reported from back-to-back storms in 2021.
“Those who’ve been directly helping others are both tired and inspired. It does a soul good to help rescue another, it makes all the time spent training well worth it,” Cloud told The Herald. “We’ve seen a surge of people who want to help, who have been volunteering here in the Emergency Operations Center, or using their tractors to get a semi truck back on the road. Those whose homes, livelihoods or services were damaged are feeling real pain. So are those who’ve been working around the clock to try to assess and repair things — from public works crews and bridge inspectors to the community’s mayors, utilities and business owners. They are weary.”
A Herald journalist reported an eerie quiet Thursday in Ferndale amid evacuations and flood preparations. Many residents gathered their belongings into cars or filled sandbags at a distribution site near the Phillips 66 ballfields.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu urged Whatcom County residents to check on their neighbors, keep abreast of developing events, and follow directions from city and county officials.
“We will do everything within our means to support the community. Thank you to the first responders, agency staff, and volunteers across Whatcom who are working around the clock to protect lives and property in the face of historic challenges,” Sidhu told The Bellingham Herald in an emailed statement.
Parts of Ferndale began flooding before noon Thursday as the river hit minor flood stage of 18 feet. It reached moderate flood stage of 20.5 feet by late afternoon after floodwaters raged downstream toward the river delta in Marietta and Lummi Nation.
As of 8:30 p.m. Thursday, flodwaters had covered the VanderYacht Park and Griffintown Park areas, Smith Road at Hovander, Ferndale Road, Imhoff Road, Main Street east of Barrett Road and the former Riverside Golf Course behind the Dairy Queen — all typical flooding locations, city of Ferndale spokeswoman Megan Juenemann told The Herald in an email.
“Our Police Department delivered over 150 evacuation notices. We know of at least two families and a handful of other individuals who have utilized our shelters due to evacuation. The mayor and I visited residents in these areas and many were packing up and had already made hotel arrangements, Juenemann said.
Ferndale officials advised residents in flood-prone areas to leave Thursday in a Facebook post.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the city of Ferndale is urging residents in specific low-lying areas to begin voluntary evacuation now due to the potential for major flooding over the next several days. Floodwaters may rise beginning Thursday, Dec. 11 through Saturday, Dec. 13, with additional events possible next week,” the city said. “If you choose to shelter in place, please be prepared to do so for at least 24 hours, and be aware that emergency response may be delayed.”
Wednesday evacuations included the Marietta area and parts of Ferndale as floodwaters covered streets and closed businesses, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management said at its website, Whatcom Ready.
A total of 25 people used shelters in two Lynden churches and two families used a shelter in Ferndale. Others were seeking hotel acccommodations or seeking refuge with family and friends, officials said.
Officials with the Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group scheduled Friday and Saturday sessions for residents affected by the flood to request help.
An online form is available at the Whatcom Strong website, and in-person sessions were scheduled for 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Friday at Valley Church, 904 Nooksack Road in Nooksack, and 8 a.m to 5 p.m. Saturday at Sumas Advent Christian Church, 125 Front St., Sumas.
This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Lummi Nation declares state of emergency; floodwaters crest in Ferndale."
