Washington Declares Emergency as Floods Hit State

Is Washington's flooding crisis caused by aging infrastructure, or by climate change intensifying extreme weather?

Published 2 days ago

Washington Declares Emergency as Floods Hit State

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Above: Flood waters from the Snohomish River cover Marsh Road along State Route 9 in Snohomish, Washington, on Dec. 11, 2025. Image credit: Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Climate change is fundamentally altering rainfall patterns and making catastrophic flooding more frequent and severe. Rising global temperatures cause air to hold 7% more moisture for every 1 degree Celsius increase, leading to extreme precipitation events that overwhelm communities. Washington's recent flooding demonstrates how warming temperatures are pushing more precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow, creating dangerous conditions that will only worsen without action to limit global warming.

The Seattle Times Dw.Com

Climate-skeptic narrative

Despite the catastrophic Washington floods, blaming climate change alone is too easy. The devastation stems more from flawed governance, poor land-use planning and infrastructure unfit for known regional risks. Climate narratives — often inflated, politicized or selectively applied — cannot substitute for accountability. Disasters become inevitable when preparation fails, not simply when the climate shifts.

Spectator (UK)

Narrative C

Aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance pose serious threats to communities across the country. Washington state has 50 high-hazard dams in poor condition requiring immediate repairs, with some structures dating back to the 1920s now surrounded by homes and businesses that didn't exist when they were built. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill provides only $3 billion for dam projects — a fraction of what's needed to address thousands of deteriorating dams nationwide.

Fox 13 - Seattle