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Rising Rivers Threaten Airports in Washington

Pilots and volunteers scramble to protect property.

Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 04:11 PM ET

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Snohomish River flooding in 2006 [Credit: Walter Siegmund/Wikimedia Commons]

Key Takeaways:

Washington state is experiencing severe flooding due to heavy rains, prompting ongoing rescue operations in areas like the Skagit River Valley and advisories for residents to move to higher ground.
Multiple airports near major rivers (Skagit, Snohomish, Cedar) are either directly threatened by rising waters, partially flooded, or being used as staging areas for emergency operations.
Airport personnel and volunteers are actively moving aircraft to higher ground to prevent damage, and temporary flight restrictions are in place over heavily affected areas, though some airports remain partially operational.

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Flooding caused by heavy rains continues in Washington state. Several airports located near rivers are bracing for rising water, while others are being used as staging areas for rescues.

As of Thursday morning a temporary flight restriction was in place over the Skagit River Valley near the community of Sedro Woolley. Local law enforcement are using helicopters to save people who became trapped by the swiftly rising Skagit River.

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.