A Flood of Emotions: In the Path of the Nooksack River and the December 2025 Flood

In December 2025, the waters came again.For the communities along the Nooksack River, it was the third major flood in five years. The catastrophic November 2021 flood was still a fresh memory. Evacuation sirens sounded once more. Families packed what they could. And again, homes, farms, and entire neighborhoods were swallowed by rising water.A Flood of Emotions is the follow-up to Carl D. Crouse’s earlier book, The Waters Are Rising, continuing the story of a valley forever changed by the floods of 2021 and 2025. But this is more than a record of disaster. Through firsthand accounts and deeply personal reflections, the book captures the fear of waiting, the pain of loss, and the quiet strength required to begin again.For many residents, homes can be repaired and debris can be cleared away. But the emotional toll—the exhaustion, uncertainty, and constant fear of the next flood—lingers long after the water recedes. Set in the Nooksack Valley in the northwest corner of Washington State, and stretching across the border into Canada, this is a story of neighbors helping neighbors, of deep roots, and of the enduring bond people have with the place they call home.But beneath these stories lies a harder truth: this did not have to happen again.As the river continues to rise, so do the questions—about responsibility, action, and what it will take to protect the communities in its path. This book stands as both a witness to what has been lost and a challenge to consider what must come next.Because for those living in the floodplain, the story is not over. They are still waiting to see what happens when the waters rise again. Read more