A couple described as “kind” and “hardworking” lost their home in dramatic fashion during the recent floods in Washington state.
Footage shared by local outlet Komo News on Friday, Dec. 12 shows a house in Whatcom County breaking free and drifting away in the rushing waters of the Nooksack River.
In the aftermath, Emily Treadaway — a friend of the couple — created a fundraiser titled Emergency Relief for Sarah & Mike After Flooding to help them recover and cover urgent needs.
“In the middle of the night, our neighbors Sarah and Mike experienced every homeowner’s worst nightmare,” Emily wrote. She said sudden, severe river flooding caused their home to be “completely swept away.”
According to the fundraiser message, there wasn’t time to collect any essentials. Emily wrote that the couple escaped with only their animals and the clothes they were wearing — and that everything else was lost.
Emily added that Sarah and Mike are longtime members of the community who have “always shown up for others,” and said that while she’s grateful they survived, “they are starting from nothing.”
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She said the couple is currently staying in a hotel and needs immediate basics like food and clothing while they try to stabilize and figure out what comes next.
As of Saturday, Dec. 13, the GoFundMe had raised more than half of its $100,000 target.
The devastation comes as days of relentless rain across Washington have triggered historic flooding, stranding families on rooftops and leaving vehicles submerged, according to NPR.
Washington also remains under a state of emergency, and about 78,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, according to CBS News.
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In a statement shared on X on Thursday, Dec. 11, Gov. Bob Ferguson urged people to take evacuation orders seriously.
“I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past,” he wrote. “However, we’re looking at a historic situation expecting 2 feet higher than record flood level. If you have instructions to evacuate from your local authorities, please evacuate.”
More rain is expected in parts of the state beginning the evening of Sunday, Dec. 14 and continuing through Wednesday, Dec. 17, KUOW reported.
