12/17/2025
A Skamania County emergency declaration has been signed by the Skamania County Board of County Commissioners – this is the first step in the process to potentially obtain state and federal support. The declaration documented initial damages over the last two weeks, that escalated overnight into today, and due to anticipated storms tomorrow. It leverages the State and federal emergency declarations for Washington Winter Storms.
The National Weather Service forecasts extreme atmospheric river storms returning Thursday through Saturday this week. A Flood watch is in effect across the county tonight through Friday night and a Winter Weather Advisory for possible heavy snow in the Cascades with high winds tonight through 10pm Thursday.
Skamania County Public Works has been in the field for weeks, addressing rock fall, tree fall and mud slides that occurred, and their work was compounded overnight with extreme winds, significantly escalating road and building damages.
Last night, significant tree fall and rockslides occurred, causing power and phone outages across the county, continuing outages today. The Skamania County PUD is working tirelessly to reinstate power as quickly as possible to help residents and businesses.
The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center also experienced 911 outages. These calls are being rerouted and currently are functional, but without location notification services.
Additionally, Skamania County residents have reported significant damage to their homes due to falling trees.
Multiple individuals have called the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office reporting entrapment on D.N.R. and Forest Service roadways due to downed trees and lack of chainsaws or other tree-removal equipment.
Skamania County Emergency Manager Barb Ayers is working to document and potentially procure state assistance during this weather event. If you have experienced storm damage to your home or business, or have emergency response costs or damages, need assistance as a result of this storm (or the event predicted this week), please contact E.M. Ayers at ayers@co.skamania.wa.us or 509-427-3893. Be sure to document with photos.
Skamania County EOC is activated in emergencies by Skamania County DEM (Dept of Emergency Management,) a service of Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.