Two centuries of land management have created a landscape maladapted to severe weather events
Earth mover: Traffic along Highway 12 in Washington wasn’t the only thing disrupted by December floods. Photo: Naches Fire Department
By Nick Engelfriend. December 31, 2025. The floods that drenched western Washington and Oregon this month may be receding, but their environmental impact will reverberate for years, potentially affecting everything from returning salmon to oyster fisheries.
Recent floods are an example of the type of extreme weather scientists have long warned will become common with climate change; similar flooding hit the region in 2021…