LOS ANGELES, United States, Dec 16, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Emergency officials on Monday urged evacuations for residents near the northwestern US city of Seattle after a levee breached from heavy rains in the region.

The Desimone Levee breached along the Green River in Tukwila, Washington, a suburb south of Seattle, according to the King County emergency services.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for more than 46,000 residents of the area.

"Conditions are dangerous and access routes may be lost at any time," the NWS Seattle regional office posted on X, adding that residents of some parts of Tukwila, Renton and Kent need to "leave immediately."

The flooding caused several highways to close in the area, with evacuations snarling traffic along other routes out of the city, according to live camera feeds from the Washington Department of Transportation.

The Washington National Guard, which has already been mobilized due to the rains, said it was sending troops to the area of the levee breach to assist with evacuations.

Heavy rains have been battering the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and west coast of Canada for several days, causing widespread flooding and evacuations.