A flash flood warning was issued in west-central King County after a levee failure was reported along the Green River, and people are being asked to evacuate now and find higher ground.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle pushed a flash flood warning because of the failure at the Desimone Levee along Todd Boulevard, which is in Tukwila.
“Leave immediately if you are in this area,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson stated. “Conditions are dangerous and access routes may be lost at any time. Go north or south of evacuated area away from flooding waters. Do not drive or walk through standing or moving water. Turn around, don’t drown. Do not drive around barricades or road closures.”
“At 11:51 a.m., county dispatch reported the failure of Green River Levee causing flash flooding near the Green River in Tukwila,” the warning read.
Flash Flood Warning continues for King County, WA until 9:00 PM PST pic.twitter.com/L5clmhoWl7
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) December 15, 2025
“There is a breach in the levee,” King County Emergency Management Director Brendan McCluskey told KIRO 7. “There is water coming, coming outside of the river, now into that area, and there is flooding starting to happen.”
Residents and businesses east of the Green River in the Orillia area in Tukwila, Renton, and Kent are under a “go now” evacuation notice. People who are in these low-lying areas are being asked to move to higher ground immediately.
“Conditions are dangerous and access routes may be lost at any time,” NWS Seattle wrote. “Go north or south of evacuated area away from flooding waters. Do not drive or walk through standing or moving water. Turn around, don’t drown. Do not drive around barricades or road closures.”
“The water and the levee situation like this will rise very quickly,” NWS meteorlogist Harrison Rademacher told KIRO Newsradio.
Kent, Renton, and Tukwila are expected to experience flash flooding. County dispatch stated the flash flooding could be “life-threatening.” According to NWS, 46,557 people, two schools, and one hospital could be at risk. According to KIRO 7, 1,100 people received notifications to move to higher ground immediately.
Washington National Guard members are heading to King County for support.
The Renton School District told KIRO 7 it is not impacted and is not evacuating. Additionally, no hospitals in the area are evacuating.
The warning will be in place until 9 p.m. Monday. Water is likely moving north towards I-405.
King County has experienced three dam failures over the past 100 years. The first incident occurred in 1918 near North Bend, and the most recent in 1997 in Shoreline. Seven deaths have been attributed to dam failure.
“It’s fairly rare for at least our area,” KIRO 7 meteorologist Nick Allard said. “I’ve been forecasting here for 22 years, and it’s pretty unusual to see a levee break.”
Green River, Duwamish Waterway, and Cedar River could all be impacted.
Shelters are available at the Auburn Community and Event Center, located at 910 9th Street S.E. in Auburn, Ray of Hope Shelter, located at 2806 Auburn Way N. in Auburn, and the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, located at 14405 179th Ave. S.E. in Monroe. More information can be found here.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.
