'Catastrophic' flooding halts Amtrak service between Seattle and Vancouver | Daily Hive

Washington State Department of Transportation

Amtrak passenger train service between Seattle and Vancouver has been halted due to major flooding in Northern Washington.

According to the national passenger railroad company, BNSF has placed a moratorium on service between the two major West Coast cities on Thursday, Dec. 11 and Friday, Dec. 12.

Amtrak posted on its website that the service adjustment was due to “anticipated flooding of the Skagit River through Mount Vernon.”

It also added that no substitute transportation would be available.

Amtrak

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“Amtrak and BNSF will continue to monitor the level of the Skagit River, and once conditions are safe, Amtrak Cascades trains will resume operations between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, Dec. 13,” said the railroad company.

“Customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day.”

The Amtrak service disruption comes after heavy rainfall caused significant issues in the Fraser Valley.

All highways linking the Lower Mainland to the rest of British Columbia have been completely or partially shut down as a result of flooding, falling rock and debris, and escalating avalanche hazards, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit announced on Wednesday evening.

B.C. highway closure map on the evening of Dec. 10, 2025, due to extreme weather. (Government of BC)

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, adding that the National Water Prediction Service is forecasting 18 major floods and 15 moderate floods in the state.

According to the National Water Center, catastrophic flooding impacts, especially by the Skagit and Snohomish Rivers, will continue until at least Friday.

Here’s what Tumwater Falls looks like today.

There’s flood warnings and watches all over the state with 26 rivers at risk of flooding. Make sure you’re following weather alerts near you. Put your ZIP code in at https://t.co/Kwggsxa5O9 to find the latest.#wawx pic.twitter.com/4B7shbWWF8

— WA Emergency Management (@waEMD) December 10, 2025

B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit issued a travel advisory on Wednesday evening for parts of the Fraser Valley, asking people to “avoid travel unless necessary until the heavy rainfall passes and water levels subside.”

The Province is reminding people that conditions can change quickly, and there is limited visibility on some roadways because of the “high-intensity” rainfall, pooling water, and the potential for rising river levels that could cause flooding.

Skagit County, Washington – Government

The dangerous weather has also forced a number of evacuation alerts in the Sumas Prairie and Clayburn Village areas of Abbotsford.

The alerts were issued following a flood warning from the B.C. River Forecast Centre and conversations with provincial officials, and were based on modelling that suggested the flood could be significant, but not as significant as what was seen in 2021.