Evacuations ordered in 3 south Seattle suburbs after levee fails

Justus Top, 13, rides a jet ski through his family's front yard Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 in Sedro-Wooley, Wash. Water from the nearby Skagit River flooded the garage but spared the house, coming within a foot of the structure. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times via AP)

SEATTLE — Officials ordered immediate evacuations in three south Seattle suburbs Monday after a levee failed following a week of heavy rains.

The evacuation order from King County in Washington state covered homes and businesses east of the Green River in parts of Kent, Auburn and Tukwila.

The National Weather Service, meanwhile, issued a flash flood warning covering nearly 47,000 people.

“Conditions are dangerous and access routes may be lost at any time,” the weather service said in a post on X.

The levee breach followed days of heavy rain and flooding that inundated communities, forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of people and prompted scores of rescues throughout western Washington state.