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  Live updates: Rivers have crested, but Western Washington flood threat still looms

  The Skagit River near Mount Vernon crested at record-breaking levels in the wee hours of Friday morning, but it’s still running dangerously high. The flood wall has held so far, but a lot of water is pressing against it — and residents in Skagit County, a densely populated agricultural hub an hour north of Seattle, and elsewhere across the state aren't out of the water yet. It could take some time before flood waters actually start to recede. Authorities are monitoring local levees and dikes. Tens of thousands of Washingtonians remain under evacuation advisories, including about 78,000 people in Skagit County's flood plain. See flood updates from Thursday, Dec. 11 here.

  • KUOW Staff
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  Northwest floods offer sneak peek of hotter climate's toll

  “The science is clear that floods are going to become larger and more frequent in the future,” Washington State Climatologist Guillaume Mauger said.

  • John Ryan
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  Catastrophic flooding threatens thousands in Skagit County

  As many as 78,000 people have been urged to evacuate from flood zones in Washington’s Skagit River Valley. Officials expect the river to crest in Mount Vernon around 4 am tomorrow morning.

  • Casey Martin

• Some hunters switch to copper bullets

  Most hunters headed into the field will be armed with bullets made of lead. But lead is toxic for predators eating the animals that hunters shoot and leave behind.
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  Live updates: Historic flooding in Western Washington

  Read KUOW's latest coverage of flooding in Western Washington here. "Catastrophic" conditions continue to threaten Western Washington as an atmospheric river sweeps through the Pacific Northwest. 100,000 people in Western Washington have been advised to evacuate from their homes. The National Weather Service said rainfall was expected to peak Wednesday night, while some parts of Skagit County, a densely populated agricultural hub an hour north of Seattle, may not see the worst of the flooding until Thursday or Friday. Flooding is expected to surpass a record set in 1990, when floods caused two human fatalities, over 2,000 evacuations, and more than $100 million in damage, according to a Natural Disaster Survey report. Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency in response to the intense flooding. Several impacted counties also issued evacuation orders Wednesday afternoon.

  • KUOW Staff
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  Western Washington faces 'catastrophic' flooding as two atmospheric rivers dump heavy rain

  Western Washington braced for what the National Weather Service in Seattle called “catastrophic” conditions Wednesday as an atmospheric river drenched the state.

  • Noel Gasca
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  Washington’s last coal power plant will transition to natural gas

  TransAlta Corporation has signed an agreement with Puget Sound Energy to switch the last coal-fired power station in Washington state to natural gas.

  • Joseph O'Sullivan
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  What to know about death cap mushrooms, blamed for poisonings in California

  Death cap mushrooms look harmless, but are responsible for the majority of the world's mushroom-related deaths. California officials say 21 people have been sickened in recent weeks, one fatally.

  • Rachel Treisman

• Black bears are returning to Texas

  By the mid-1900s, black bears were becoming increasingly rare in Far West Texas.

• Experts warn White House's budget cuts could make tsunami warnings less reliable

  In Alaska, a federal grant that funded seismic data collection in order to warn people about tsunamis is being cancelled. Experts say cuts like this could make tsunami warnings less reliable.

  • Katia Riddle

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