White River levee breach prompts evacuation order for the city of Pacific, Washington
A levee breach along the White River prompted evacuation orders and Flash Flood Warning for the city of Pacific on December 16, 2025.
Evacuation zone map for city of Pacific due to White River Levee breach on December 16, 2025. Credit: King County Emergency Alerts
A levee on the White River failed early Tuesday, December 16, prompting Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation notices near the city of Pacific (population 7 600).
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Flash Flood Warning around 01:39 PST, reporting a levee breach on the White River in the city of Pacific in King County. The warning will remain in effect until 07:45 PST on December 16.
“Go now! Levee break at 3rd Ave SE and Spencer Ct. Evacuate the area that is east of Butte and south of 3rd! More info to come! Leave Megan Court, leave Park View Apts, leave Spencer Court,” the Pacific Police Department said.
“Pacific PD has officers going door to door, in partnership with KCSO, VRFA, and the City of Auburn. Multiple locations at City Hall are open as warming and gathering stations. Please keep roads clear as we are still moving emergency vehicles.”
The levee, a HESCO barrier, failed, prompting the alert. HESCOs are soil-filled barriers designed to protect against flooding. City crews are working to secure more barriers to restore the levee.
This comes just a day after the Green River breached its levee near Tukwila in the same county on December 15.
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
Published in the last 24 hours
- In September 1859, a solar storm lit up the night sky so brightly that gold miners in the Rocky Mountains woke up after midnight and started cooking breakfast, convinced the aurora glowing over their camp was the sunrise Epicenter
- A patch of warm Pacific water that could become the strongest El Niño in more than 70 years sits thousands of miles from any American town, yet it is already the main reason NOAA expects a wetter winter across the South and a milder one across the North
- A 19-year-old Nebraska teacher reportedly tied her pupils together with twine and led them to safety through a blizzard in January 1888 Epicenter
- NASA built the Opportunity rover to last 90 days on Mars, and Martian winds helped keep it alive for nearly 15 years by blowing dust off its solar panels, until a planet-wide dust storm in 2018 blocked sunlight and silenced the rover Epicenter
