I visited the Boots Bar and Grill in Hamilton on Sunday. Theresa Boots said her last week was "devastation." I appreciated her taking the time to talk with me and show me the damage to her business. Our state has a long road to recovery ahead of us.

The natural disaster our state is going through is historic in nature and will be a long-term event. I’m grateful for the work of the National Guard. When you see service members in your neighborhoods, know that they’re performing a critical function to help ensure your safety.

When the White River Bridge was closed, we saw truly painful impacts in Enumclaw and Buckley. It’s important we invest in preservation now to prevent catastrophic failures in the future.

The levee system in King County is stressed. The sheer number of days and the sheer amount of water is historic. I’m mobilizing 100 members of the National Guard to respond. 50 will help patrol the levees. There will be eyes on the levees at all times.

I'm proposing to pave more than 600 miles this summer, a 66% increase from this year's budget. Over 10 years, we'll pave an additional 2,100 miles of Washington roads. We need to focus on the basics and make meaningful progress on addressing our backlog of infrastructure needs.

As long as I’m governor, investments in ferries will continue to be a high priority. My proposed transportation budget adds 3 new ferries to our fleet. Read more in the Seattle Times.

I went to Concrete and Hamilton today to discuss flood damage with residents, local officials, and Tribal members. This has been a difficult time for many Washingtonians, and we are not out of the woods yet. We're working hard to get the help that these residents need.

Our troopers put themselves in harm's way to protect our communities every day. Please make sure you're taking care on the road. If you see flashing lights, be cautious, slow down, and move over if you can safely do so. Thank you to our law enforcement officers for all they do.

My deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Trooper Guting. The loss of a devoted public servant is a tragedy. We will never forget her service or her sacrifice. www.kiro7.com/news/local/w...

As part of my transportation budget, I'm proposing to buy 3 new ferries and invest an additional $150 million in preservation for our current vessels. Our state has under-invested in new vessels for decades. Now is the time to fix the ferries.

342 of our bridges are at the typical life expectancy of 80 years, or older. 80 of those are in poor condition. That is totally unacceptable. Keeping our roads and bridges in good condition saves money and helps working families. It also creates good paying jobs for workers.

To be blunt, the state has neglected its core transportation infrastructure for too long. Today, I announced that I'm proposing $2.1 billion, the largest investment in 2 decades, for preservation and maintenance of our roads and bridges. This is being done without raising taxes.

Our Mobile Office Teams will be out connecting people with resources to help recover from recent flooding: 3-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 Evergreen State Fair Park Longhouse Building 14405 179th Ave. SE Monroe, WA 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21 Startup Event Center 14315 366th Ave. SE Startup, WA

It was sobering to see the damage from flooding in places like Sumas and Everson. However, the response in those communities and across the state has been inspiring.

Yesterday, I signed an executive order creating a task force to prepare for establishing a Department of Housing. I promised during my campaign to elevate the issue of housing through a cabinet-level agency. The crisis we're facing demands it.

I've worked with my team to adjust our proposed budget to address the state's flooding response and recovery. I’m proposing $50 million to the Housing Trust Fund Preservation Program, which supports rehabilitation and repairs of affordable homes...

I'm proposing $244 million in investments in affordable housing — the largest ever in a supplemental budget. We'll quickly develop new affordable rental units, protect existing affordable housing in the wake of flooding, and support first-time homebuyers.

Southwest Washington, please pay close attention to local officials and sign up for emergency alerts with your county. Find a list here: mil.wa.gov/alerts

Orting made difficult choices years ago to dedicate resources to flood prevention. Those choices are paying off today. Great to meet former mayors Cheryl Temple and Joe Pestinger who guided the setback levee project.

Kuderer issues letter to insurance companies on post-flood expectations. Read press release here: www.insurance.wa.gov/about-us/new...

I'm grateful to Sumas Mayor Bruce Bosch for introducing me to some of the incredible people protecting infrastructure and helping Washingtonians affected by flooding. Glad to be joined by Sen. Shewmake and Reps. Rule and Timmons in Whatcom County today.

I met with local officials this morning outside Everson City Hall in Whatcom County and got a briefing from Mayor John Perry on other affected areas in the region. Just 4 years after another major flood, the Everson City Hall and many homes and businesses suffered significant flood damage.

To all the personnel at the Whatcom County Emergency Operations Center working long hours, and to all those across our state helping us get through this: Thank you.

Grateful to all the individuals working hard to restore power for hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. The flooding will make this more difficult. Please follow guidance from local officials and your utility.

There’s power outages across the state and downed power lines all over. If you see a downed power line, move away from it and anything touching it. Keep 35 feet away. You can’t tell if a power line is energized by looking at it. Call 911 if there’s danger. Call your utility to just report the line.

More rain and heavy winds could heighten the risk for landslides and fallen trees across Skagit and Whatcom counties.

There have been roughly 629 rescues across our state as of yesterday afternoon.  I want to express my deep appreciation to our first responders, the National Guard, our emergency management team, and all those who are lending a hand to help Washingtonians through this emergency.

We're working on a Major Disaster Declaration to unlock significant financial resources from the federal government for individuals, local governments, and the state.  We will make a very compelling case for disaster relief for this historic flooding.

There's zero doubt in my mind that the media is saving lives by getting information and images out there. I appreciate their communication throughout this historic flooding.

This morning, I amended our emergency proclamation in order to quickly respond to the historic flooding in our state. I'm now directing $3.5 million in emergency funds to assist Washingtonians with relief and recovery. We're working to activate as many state resources as we can.

The Skagit and Snoqualmie Rivers, as just two examples, are both expected to surpass major flood stage, cresting today and tomorrow. We're also expecting winds up to 60 mph. I want to remind Washingtonians to stay alert, listen to evacuation orders, and obey road closure signs.

Neighbors are helping neighbors. Communities are helping communities. Local officials with resources are stepping up to ask how they can help.  That's the approach, and that does not surprise me in Washington state.

On behalf of the people of the state of Washington, we extend our condolences to this man's family and loved ones. Our hearts go out to them.

For Washingtonians who are directly impacted, I want you to know we're doing everything we possibly can to get you help right away.

This morning, I signed an amendment to my emergency declaration. The amended proclamation adds more information about county-specific impacts in 14 counties, and it activates several state cash and benefits assistance programs to provide emergency support.

Tune into my Facebook or TVW at 11:30 a.m. for an update on the flooding in Washington state. tvw.org/video/govern...

Police in the city of Pacific, about 20 miles south of Seattle, urged people in the evacuation area near the White River to “Go Now!” The National Weather Service office in Seattle issued a flash flood warning for the levee breach on the river in King County. https://to.pbs.org/3KVeK3B

Local officials responded quickly and are working on repairs to the levee breach from this morning in King County. No one was injured, the evacuation area has been refined to a smaller area, and we're expecting the repairs to take several hours. Check KCemergency.com for updates.

WSDOT has reopened over 50 highways since the start of the storm. Thank you to our WSDOT crews for keeping as many roads open as possible while working in difficult conditions.

Information from NWS Seattle: In coordination with King County, we have issued a FLASH FLOOD WARNING for a levee breach in Tukwila WA near Todd, Blvd. Water is likely moving north towards I-405. In addition, an evacuation notice is now in effect from King County.

If you see National Guard service members out in our communities, they're here to keep Washingtonians safe. I deeply appreciate the work they're doing.

I encourage all Washingtonians to continue to stay alert and follow instructions from local officials. Here's a notice from Skagit County from today on further expected major flooding, in addition to strong winds: www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/...

The flooding situation is extremely unpredictable. First responders have already saved over 250 lives across the state. They're counting on us to stay vigilant and follow evacuation orders to keep them safe.

The story of Hanukkah is one of resilience, strength and hope. That is especially resonant now, as so many Washingtonians are experiencing historic flooding, and the Jewish community is reeling from the terrorist attack in Sydney.

I was glad to be able to join Representative Kim Schrier today on our visits to places impacted by flooding in Pierce County. I deeply appreciate our federal delegation's attention to this situation and their efforts to get a federal emergency declaration.

Many Washingtonians in Orting were under evacuation orders that were lifted recently. I visited to hear from local officials and previous mayors who had made investments in setback levies. Their work prevented worse impacts to Orting and other places along the Puyallup River.

Met with Pierce County Sheriff's swift water rescue team at East Pierce Fire Station. Reminded of the danger our first responders go through, heading into waters with trees, appliances, and in this case, an entire shed speeding by them.