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Tents flood, families seek shelter as Storm Byron bears down on Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News
Storm Byron is threatening to heap new miseries on Palestinians in Gaza, with families making distress calls from flooded tents and hundreds of others fleeing their shelters in search of dry ground as the fierce winter storm lashes heavy rains on the besieged territory.
Officials warned Wednesday that the storm was forecast to bring flash floods, strong winds and hail until Friday, conditions expected to wreak havoc in a territory in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people live in tents, temporary structures, or damaged buildings after two years of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
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Humanitarian workers said Israeli restrictions on the entry of tents, tools to repair water and sewage systems have left Gaza poorly equipped to respond to the storm, and called on the international community to pressure the Netanyahu government to urgently allow in supplies.
In the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian Civil Defence said its teams had already received distress calls from displacement camps, with families reporting “flooded tents and families trapped inside by heavy rains”.
“Despite limited resources and a lack of necessary equipment, our teams are working tirelessly to reach those in need and provide assistance,” the rescue agency said on Telegram.
Footage posted on social media and verified by Al Jazeera showed Palestinians shovelling a ditch around tents in a desperate attempt to create barriers that would prevent them from flooding.
Displacement camps at risk
Nearly 850,000 people sheltering in 761 displacement sites face the highest risk of flooding, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Flooding has previously been recorded at more than 200 of the highest-risk sites, affecting more than 140,000 people, the office said.
Previous storms had contaminated displacement sites with sewage and solid waste, swept away families’ tents and driven them out of makeshift shelters.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said that UN agencies and local authorities were warning that any significant rainfall could have devastating consequences for Gaza’s population, with the displacement camps built on barren, open terrain that would be highly susceptible to flooding.
The tents available to people were typically flimsy, unreinforced and often torn, he said, offering negligible protection from heavy rains, which were likely to seriously damage whatever possessions families had left.
Risk of water contamination, disease
Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs network, said Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid and equipment had left Gaza ill-equipped to deal with the storm.
He said only 40,000 tents, out of a needed 300,000, had been allowed in, while tools that would likely be needed to repair sewage systems and water networks were also restricted.
Flooding would bring a serious risk of sewage and solid waste contaminating drinking water or food supplies, raising the risk of diseases in the densely populated Strip, where 2.2 million people are crammed into just 43 percent of the territory, while the remaining 57 percent remains under Israeli military control.
“If Israel were to allow the entrance of supplies, things would be different. But for now, it has done all it can to make life more complicated for Palestinians,” Shawa said.
Oxfam humanitarian response adviser Chris McIntosh agreed, telling Al Jazeera that the people of Gaza were bracing for a “very tragic situation”.
“Persistent bureaucracy prevented us from bringing in adequate dwellings for people in Gaza,” McIntosh said. “The Israelis have not permitted tents to enter Gaza for many months. The only thing they’re allowing at this point is some tarpaulin, which isn’t going to do much for people who need proper shelter.”
He said Palestinians were being forced to live in “deplorable conditions”, with well more than 50 percent of the population living in tents.
He anticipated many would attempt to find dry ground inside bombed-out buildings that were at heightened risk of collapse amid the forecast heavy rains and winds.
Families flee flooding risk
Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warned that vulnerable groups, including newborn children, are at particular risk from the incoming winter storm.
About 200 families were expected to arrive at a new displacement site in eastern Khan Younis in the south of the Strip, fleeing a heightened risk of flooding in their present location, he said.
“These households made the decision to move given the impact of the frequent rains and the risk of flooding,” he said.
Ismail al-Thawabta, director of Gaza’s Government Media Office, told Al Jazeera that about 288,000 Palestinian families were without shelter as Storm Byron bore down on the enclave, and issued a call to the international community to pressure Israel to allow in supplies to help respond to the storm.
“We are issuing an urgent appeal to the world, [United States] President Trump and the [United Nations] Security Council to pressure the Israeli occupation,” he said.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, condemned global inaction as families in Gaza braced for the storm.
“Palestinians in Gaza are literally left alone, freezing and starving in the winter storm,” she posted on X.
“I keep asking how we became such monsters, [i]ncapable of stopping this nightmare.”
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Magnitude 6.7 earthquake hits Japan’s northeast, tsunami warning issued | Earthquakes News
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
A tsunami warning has been issued following a strong quake off northeast coast of Japan.
Published On 12 Dec 2025
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An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 has hit Japan’s northeastern region, prompting a tsunami advisory from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The earthquake struck on Friday off the coast of Aomori Prefecture at 11:44am local time (02:44 GMT) at a depth of 20km (12.4 miles), according to the JMA.
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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) also said that the quake measured 6.7.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said there were no immediate signs of abnormalities at the region’s nuclear facilities.
National broadcaster NHK said that the level of shaking from the quake was less than a bigger magnitude 7.5 earthquake that hit in the same region on Monday and tore apart roads, smashed windows and triggered tsunami waves of up to 70 centimetres (2.3ft).
Following Monday’s quake, which injured at least 50 people, the JMA issued a rare special advisory warning to residents across a wide area, from Hokkaido in the north to Chiba, east of Tokyo, to be on alert for an increased possibility of a powerful earthquake hitting again within a week.
The northeast region is haunted by the memory of a massive magnitude 9.0 undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that left about 18,500 people dead or missing.
The JMA issued its first special advisory in 2024 for the southern half of Japan’s Pacific coast warning of a possible “megaquake” along the Nankai Trough.
The government has said that a quake in the Nankai Trough and subsequent tsunami could kill as many as 298,000 people and cause up to $2 trillion in damages.
Amid fears of a “megaquake”, NHK reported on Thursday that people in the northeast of Japan were stocking up on disaster-related goods such as torches, water storage tanks and support poles to prevent furniture toppling over due to tremors.
One shop in Hokkaido’s Hakodate City reported sales of bottled water and disaster kits tripling following Monday’s quake.
“We decided to prepare, so I bought disaster kits for everyone,” a male customer in his 30s told NHK while visiting a shop with his family.
Japan sits on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is one of the world’s most seismically active countries.
A vehicle rests on the edge of a collapsed road in the town of Tohoku in Aomori Prefecture, on December 9, 2025, following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake off the coast of northern Japan [JIJI Press/AFP]
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Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul received royal permission Friday to dissolve Parliament, paving the way for general elections to be held early next year.
“I’d like to return power to the people,” he said in a one-line post on Facebook. “The House of Representatives dissolved to hold a new general election for members of the House,” read a royal decree.
Thai PM says decision to dissolve parliament will not impact border crisis management
The move to call for fresh elections comes at a delicate time for the country as Thai and Cambodian troops continue to fight along their contested border.
Multiple people have been killed on both sides of the border since the latest skirmishes began earlier this week.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced on both sides as well.
Anutin said his decision to dissolve Parliament will not affect the management of the ongoing conflict.
Thailand headed for early elections
Under Thai law, elections for the 500-member House of Representatives must be held between 45 and 60 days after the dissolution of the house.
Anutin will lead a caretaker government in the period until elections with limited powers.
Why did Anutin dissolve parliament?
Anutin, a member of the conservative Bhumjaithai Party, came to power in September after his predecessor was removed from office for ethics violations.
Anutin was elected with the support of the People’s Party, which is the largest opposition bloc in parliament.
Anutin struck a deal with the People’s Party to win their backing in a parliamentary vote in September.
As per that deal, Anutin was set to dissolve parliament within four months of being sworn in, hold a referendum on amending the constitution, and take steps to resolve the border dispute.
Plus, Anutin and his Bhumjaithai Party have faced strong criticism since late November over mishandling the flooding situation in southern Thailand.
The opposition floated the possibility of submitting a non-confidence motion against Anutin’s government ahead of a new parliamentary session due to begin on Friday, according to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese news agency.
Domestic affairs ‘fraught’ with multiple challenges, says royal gazette
“Since the administration is a minority government and domestic political conditions are fraught with multiple challenges, the government cannot continue administering state affairs continuously, efficiently, and with stability,” said the Royal Gazette, citing a report from Anutin.
“Therefore, the appropriate solution is to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold a new general election,” it said.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
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Video shows the horrifying moment a pickleball player fell to his death after climbing over a safety rail to retrieve a ball at a sports center in Malaysia.
CCTV footage acquired by Newsflare shows the 32-year-old player leaping over a safety rail at a Kuala Lumpur pickleball facility on Dec. 2.
The video then shows him jumping onto mesh netting that covered an open gap, but it tore under his weight and he plunged three stories.
Other players rushed to the railing before heading to the first floor. When they reached him, they learned he had died, according to Newsflare.
DAD FINDS 13-YEAR-OLD SON DEAD AFTER 200-FOOT FALL FROM BLUFF INSIDE POPULAR NATIONAL PARK SITE
A Malaysia pickleball player died after climbing a court rail and falling three stories when mesh netting failed, prompting a police investigation and public warnings. (Newsflare via Reuters Connect)
“The deceased was playing pickleball on the third floor and he had climbed over the court’s fence to retrieve a ball and fell to the lower floor,” Wangsa Maju district police chief Mohamad Lazim Ismail said in a statement obtained by Newsflare. “The case has been classified as sudden death.”
Officials at the Playa Racquet Club, where the incident occurred, expressed their condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.
WEALTHY CALIFORNIA TOWN BANS PICKLEBALL OVER NOISE COMPLAINTS FROM PADDLES HITTING BALLS
A Malaysia pickleball player died after climbing a court rail and falling three stories when mesh netting failed, prompting a police investigation and public warnings. (Newsflare via Reuters Connect)
“We are deeply saddened by a tragic incident that occurred at our TREC facility, which resulted in the loss of a life,” the officials said. “At this time, we ask for understanding and compassion as we respect the privacy of the family and loved ones affected.
“We kindly urge the public to refrain from speculation while the appropriate authorities carry out their investigation,” club officials said.
WHAT IS PICKLEBALL? HOW TO PLAY, WHAT YOU NEED AND HOW TO FIND A COURT NEAR YOU
Pickleball blends tennis, badminton and ping-pong, and has an appeal that spans generations. (iStock)
Pickleball is a sport that blends tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It was invented in 1965 by three dads looking for a fun family activity.
Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum gathered on Bainbridge Island, near Seattlenear Seattle, where they had access to an abandoned badminton court. They began using ping-pong paddles to volley with a perforated plastic ball over the net.
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They ended up with some random equipment, which led to the birth of pickleball.
Fox News’ Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
Kristi Noem was confronted by a deported veteran after she insisted that no former US military personnel had been removed from the country under the Trump administration.
During a House hearing on Thursday (11 December), Rep. Seth Magaziner questioned the Homeland Security secretary on the deportation of combat veteran Sae Joon Park, who appeared in the hearing via video call.
Mr Magaziner said Mr Park had struggled with PTSD and substance abuse, and was arrested in the 1990s for “minor drug offences”. Mr Park told NPR that he self-deported back to South Korea following a meeting with ICE officials in June in which he was warned that he would be detained and deported if he did not voluntarily leave.
After Mr Magaziner asked Noem to “thank Mr Park for his service to our country”, she said she would “absolutely” look into the veteran’s case.
NEED TO KNOW
- Colleagues of Sean Foley share their memories of the Survivor editor following his death from brain cancer
- The husband and father was an editor on the reality competition series from season 1 until season 31
- “He was one of the good ones and this industry lost a creative Titan with his passing,” his best friend, Andrew Zoeller, exclusively tells PEOPLE
Sean Foley is being remembered as a loving family man and a pioneer in reality television by those who knew him best after the former Survivor editor died from brain cancer.
“Foley was my dearest friend, a loving family man and a creative force that helped shape the landscape of television as we know it,” Andrew Zoeller, a reality TV producer and best friend to Foley, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
During the Wednesday, Dec. 10 episode of Survivor season 49, there was a tribute to Foley, who served as an editor on the series from the first season until the 31st.
Sean Foley in May 2012.
Sean Foley/Facebook
“In loving memory of Sean Foley, our friend and colleague,” a black card with white writing read on the screen.
For Zoeller, Foley was also known as his “wingman” after the two met at Gladstones in Malibu in summer 1992.
“I soon started an editing career and Sean was very intrigued by the Avid editing system I was working with…it was one of those lightbulb moments for him and he wanted to learn the craft. From the moment he started editing I knew he was special,” Zoeller tells PEOPLE.
When Zoeller began working on a small show called PETV, Foley became his first hire.
“He was off to the races at that point becoming one of the top editors in Los Angeles,” he adds, saying that once Foley made it to Survivor, “the rest [was] history.”
“Sean put his stamp on everything he did and Survivor was no different,” Zoeller tells PEOPLE. “He was an integral component to the creative look and feel of the show. It quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and the benchmark of all other ‘reality’ shows and he was the center of it all. He helped create an entire new genre of television in this country that will be forever with us.”
In addition to his work as an editor, Foley also served as a producer for The Contender and Whale Wars, among others, and most recently, Naked and Afraid Camp until he died in November.
“I called him ‘The Adventure Guy.’ Always joked with him that he spent more time on location [than] in Los Angeles,” Zoeller tells PEOPLE of Foley.
“I never heard [a] negative word about Sean, he was one of those kind, warm-hearted and respectful people that others gravitated to, and treated everyone the same, whether a tribal chief or a set PA,” Zoeller says. “He was one of the good ones and this industry lost a creative Titan with his passing. He will always be remembered by the people he touched and is dearly missed.”
Eric Van Wagenen also worked with Foley after the pair met as editors on Survivor in 2003, eventually working on other projects together, but they “stayed friends for over 22 years.”
Sean Foley in July 2024.
Sean Foley/Facebook
“Sean Foley was one of the pioneers of early reality television. When the very first Survivor was shooting in Borneo [Asia], Sean was on location, sitting in a shipping container editing the series as it happened,” Van Wagenen tells PEOPLE. “He was very influential in developing the show’s signature style, and helped establish the unique storytelling and creative editing for all future reality television.”
The Emmy-nominated editor says Foley went on to set his sights on other career opportunities.
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“It was inevitable that Sean would leave the edit bay and expand his creative influence as a producer and eventually as a showrunner. Sean was beloved by everyone who worked with him or for him. He was collaborative, generous, supportive, and above all else, just a kind person and a really good friend,” Van Wagenen tells PEOPLE.
Foley is survived by his wife, Sondi Kroeger Foley, and their two sons, Conner and Liam.
This is the moment an orca was spotted for the first time hunting with Pacific white-sided dolphins.
New research has found that killer whales tag-team with dolphins to hunt salmon.
The two marine mammals were also caught sharing fish scraps after killing their prey near British Columbia, Canada, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
The research team found this was the first documented recording of the two mammals working together.
Study author Dr Sarah Fortune said: ‘Pacific white-sided dolphins are often seen hunting along the coastline of British Columbia within metres of orca.
‘Although orca frequently share their prey captures with pod members, they hunt independently.
‘As the two species have not shown signs of fighting or avoiding each other, researchers have speculated that this may be due to them cooperating rather than competing for food.’
Researchers from Dalhousie University investigated hunting patterns of nine northern resident orca and their interactions with Pacific white-sided dolphins around Vancouver Island in August 2020.
The two marine mammals were also caught sharing fish scraps after killing their prey, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports
Researchers from Dalhousie University investigated hunting patterns of nine orca and their interactions with Pacific white-sided dolphins around Vancouver Island in August 2020
The team monitored movement, underwater footage, acoustic audio, and aerial drone footage to show how the pair hunted
The team monitored movement, underwater footage, acoustic audio, and aerial drone footage to show how the pair hunted.
They found 25 instances of orca changing course after encountering dolphins to follow them on foraging dives.
The department of oceanography says it could be down to orcas dampening their own noises to listen out for dolphin calls, which might help the orca find Chinook salmon.
The prey is too large for dolphins to capture and swallow whole.
Assistant Professor, Dr Fortune and her colleagues recorded eight moments of orca catching, eating, and sharing Chinook salmon with other orca.
They also found dolphins were present in four of these instances.
Dr Fortune said: ‘On one occasion, the dolphins scavenged the remains of an adult Chinook salmon broken into scraps small enough for them to eat by the orca.’
The researchers say that was an act of prey sharing.
Dr Fortune added: ‘The presence of local orca may offer dolphins protection from other orca pods passing through the area, while their interactions may help orca locate salmon more easily while providing an opportunity for dolphins to feed on scraps.’
However, she said more research is needed to investigate that suggestion.
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Fin dining! How orca and dolphins team up to hunt salmon… and then EAT together
Police and Ambulance crews are at the scene of the ‘serious incident’ on the A1M as the road is shut northbound and traffic is being held southbound with diversions in place
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Indiana’s state Senate votes down redistricting bill despite Trump pressure | Donald Trump News
The Midwestern state of Indiana has dealt a setback to United States President Donald Trump’s redistricting push ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterm elections, voting down legislation to redraw its congressional map.
Late on Thursday afternoon, Indiana’s state Senate voted 31 to 19 to reject the proposed congressional districts, despite a strong Republican majority in the chamber.
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Of the state Senate’s 50 seats, 39 are held by Republicans, and the state has voted consistently Republican in every presidential race since 1968, save for a single flip for Democrat Barack Obama in 2008.
The vote is likely to reinforce the sentiment that the Republican Party is fracturing under Trump’s leadership, as his poll numbers slump during the first year of his second term.
Trump was confronted with the results of the Indiana vote at an Oval Office signing ceremony shortly after it happened.
“Just a few moments ago, the Senate there rejected the congressional map to redistrict in that state,” one reporter said. “What’s your reaction?”
Trump responded by touting his successes in pushing other Republican-led states.
“ We won every other state. That’s the only state,” the president said, before referencing his three presidential bids. “It’s funny because I won Indiana all three times by a landslide, and I wasn’t working on it very hard.”
Trump then proceeded to denounce the Indiana Senate president, Rodric Bray, and threatened to support a primary challenge against the Indiana leader.
“He’ll probably lose his next primary, whenever that is. I hope he does,” Trump said.
“It’s, I think, in two years, but I’m sure he’ll go down. He’ll go down. I’ll certainly support anybody that wants to go against it.”
Fractures in the caucus
Currently, Indiana sends nine Congress members to the US House of Representatives, one for each of its nine districts. Two of those seats are currently occupied by Democrats.
Republican leaders in the state, however, had proposed a new map of congressional districts that sought to disempower Democratic voters in the state, clearing the way for conservative candidates to claim all nine seats in next year’s midterm races.
The proposed map was part of a nationwide effort by the Trump administration to defend Republican control in the US Congress.
Already, the partisan map had passed the lower chamber of Indiana’s legislature. On December 5, Indiana’s House of Representatives voted 57 to 41 to send House Bill 1032 to the state Senate.
The bill had the backing of Indiana’s Republican Governor Mike Braun, who encouraged the state senators to emulate their colleagues in the lower chamber.
But even before the bill arrived in the state Senate, there were cracks in the Republican caucus. Twelve Republicans in the state House broke ranks to vote against the map.
And certain Republican state Senators likewise expressed reticence.
Some Republicans, like Indiana state Senator Greg Walker, had a history of opposing redistricting efforts. He was quoted in the Indiana Capital Chronicle as saying, “I cannot, myself, support the bill for which there must be a legal injunction in order for it to be found constitutional.”
Partisan redistricting has long been a controversial practice in US politics, with opponents calling the practice undemocratic and discriminatory.
Critics also pointed out that the Indiana proposal would force some voters in urban centres like Indianapolis to commute more than 200 kilometres (124 miles) for in-person voting.
Walker joined a total of 21 Republican state Senators, including Bray, in voting against the redistricting bill on Thursday.
A nationwide campaign
But the Trump administration had invested significant time and effort into swaying the vote.
In October, Vice President JD Vance travelled to the Hoosier State to try to convince wary Republicans. US House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly made personal phone calls to state leaders. And a day before the critical state Senate vote, Trump took to social media with a mixture of cajoling and pressure.
“I love the State of Indiana, and have won it, including Primaries, six times, all by MASSIVE Majorities,” Trump began in a winding, 414-word post.
“Importantly, it now has a chance to make a difference in Washington, D.C., in regard to the number of House seats we have that are necessary to hold the Majority against the Radical Left Democrats. Every other State has done Redistricting, willingly, openly, and easily.”
Currently, the US House of Representatives holds a narrow 220-member Republican majority, out of a total of 435 seats.
All of those seats, however, will be up for grabs in the 2026 midterm elections, and Democrats are hoping to flip the chamber to their control.
Starting in June, reports began to emerge that Trump was petitioning the state legislature in the right-wing stronghold of Texas to redistrict, in an effort to help conservative candidates sweep up five extra congressional seats.
Texas Republicans complied, and in August, the state legislature embraced a new redistricted map, overcoming a walkout from state Democrats.
Republicans in other states, including Missouri and North Carolina, have followed suit, passing new maps that seek to increase right-wing gains in the midterm races.
But Democrats have fired back. In November, California voters passed a referendum to suspend their independent districting commission and adopt a Democrat-leaning map created by state lawmakers.
Indiana, however, appeared poised to buck the redistricting trend. In Wednesday’s lengthy post, Trump warned that the state could put Republican power “at risk” if it failed to pass a new map.
He also called Bray and other Republican splinter votes “SUCKERS” for the Democrats.
“Rod Bray and his friends won’t be in Politics for long, and I will do everything within my power to make sure that they will not hurt the Republican Party, and our Country, again,” Trump wrote.
“One of my favorite States, Indiana, will be the only State in the Union to turn the Republican Party down!”
In the wake of Thursday’s defeat, Trump and his allies doubled down on their threats to remove the 21 Republican state senators who voted against the bill from office.
“I am very disappointed that a small group of misguided State Senators have partnered with Democrats to reject this opportunity,” Governor Braun wrote on social media, calling it a decision to “reject the leadership of President Trump”.
“Ultimately, decisions like this carry political consequences. I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers.”
Brandon Livesayand
Max Matza,Washington state
Watch: Record-setting floods hit the United States’ Pacific Northwest
Residents in the Pacific Northwest of the US and western Canada are bracing for potentially life-threatening floods as several days of heavy rain have swollen a number of rivers and tributaries.
On Thursday, the National Water Center reported heavy flooding along the Skagit and Snohomish rivers in the state of Washington that is expected to continue through Friday.
In Canada, major highways to Vancouver have been closed because of flooding, debris and the risk of avalanches.
There are evacuation orders in place for thousands of people in the US and Canada, and authorities have warned more rain is on the way.
In the US, the governor of Washington state, Bob Ferguson, declared a statewide emergency and estimated 100,000 residents could face evacuation orders.
The emergency declaration warned that continued rain and possibly snow at mountain elevations would exacerbate flooding conditions.
Governor Ferguson said there were no reports of fatalities during the state’s flooding event, but warned residents the risk wasn’t over yet.
“On the Skagit River, for example, the river will be cresting tomorrow mid-morning. Again, that is expected to be historic level on that river,” he told CNN on Thursday evening.
He warned that it would take “weeks” to recover from the storm, and appealed for help from the federal government.
Washington state’s Congressional delegation too has urged President Trump to approve an expedited emergency declaration for more assistance.
An evacuation order was lifted in the Orting community south of Seattle, but Central Pierce Fire and Rescue cautioned residents to “remain vigilant into the evening”.
“Remember, turn around don’t drown,” the department wrote on Thursday on X.
More than 30 highways were closed across the state, with closures also affecting commuters in the Seattle area.
The flooding has hit all of western Washington, as well as further south along the Oregon coast.
Skagit County, a major agricultural area north of Seattle, issued an immediate evacuation order to residents who live on the floodplain. Some 75,000 people would be evacuated from low-lying areas, officials said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday that the Skagit River would cause “severe near-record flooding from Rockport downstream through Sedro Woolley”.
It warned of “deep and swift flood waters” especially in the Cape Horn, Hamilton and Thunderbird regions.
Rescues are taking place around the state, involving rescue swimmers, inflatable boats and helicopters.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said in an overnight social media post that they had rescued “multiple” people by helicopter after they got trapped in their homes in Sultan, Washington, a community roughly 40 miles (65km) northeast of Seattle.
Officials said the Snohomish River was experiencing major flooding and “dancing with records” as water lapped against a local flood wall.
King County – which contains the city of Seattle – and Snohomish County officials have warned the road closures could last for several days.
In a post on X on Thursday, Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank said “this flooding is the worst I have seen here” in the county.
Reuters
Evacuation efforts were under way in Sultan, Washington, on Wednesday
Across the border in Canada’s British Columbia, there are evacuation orders in place for the communities of Tulameen and Eastgate, and several other areas.
City officials said the Nooksack River was expected to overflow its banks, and they anticipate flooding, though not as severe as in 2021, when it caused significant damage and five deaths in the province.
Most major highways to the Lower Mainland are now closed, according to the travel-information website Drive BC.
The US-Canada Sumas Border Crossing is also closed to commercial traffic.
The entire region, spanning parts of both the US and Canada, has received torrential rain from an atmospheric river – a phenomenon where water evaporates into the air and is carried by the wind and forms long currents that surge through the sky like rivers flow on land.
Forecasters have warned of another storm on Sunday.
A Salvadoran man at the center of a row over President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies was released from custody on Thursday after a lengthy legal battle.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to his native El Salvador in March before being brought back to the US in June to face human smuggling charges, will now be permitted at least temporarily to return to his Maryland home.
US District Judge Paula Xinis, who was nominated by former President Barack Obama, said the Trump administration has “no lawful basis to detain and remove” Abrego Garcia and that “his continued detention must end.”
A White House spokeswoman told reporters the Trump administration would appeal the decision, accusing Judge Xinis of “activism.”
Andrew Rossman, a lawyer for Abrego Garcia, said the decision was a “victory not just for one Maryland man but for everyone” and thanked the court for “upholding due process and the rule of law.”
Abrego Garcia’s case a key test of Trump’s immigration policies
Abrego Garcia’s case has become a symbol of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, as his legal battles highlight the new deportation policies the administration has sought to use.
The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that Abrego Garcia is a member of the Salvadoran gang known as MS-13 and should not be allowed to stay in the US.
An immigration judge ruled in 2019 that he could not be deported to El Salvador because he faced danger from gang violence that targeted his family.
When Abrego Garcia was mistakenly sent there in March, his case became a rallying point for those who oppose Trump’s immigration enforcement actions.
His family and attorneys deny that he has any gang connection.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar