OLYMPIA – Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is encouraging Washington residents, public employees, and state retirees to help residents of Western Washington affected by flooding from this week’s atmospheric river.
Secretary Hobbs authorized the activation of the Disaster Relief Center (DRC), a special function of the Office of the Secretary of State’s Combined Fund Drive (CFD), and initiation of a special fundraising campaign to benefit response and recovery efforts, Dec. 11, 2025.
“Whenever disaster strikes, Washington’s residents and state employees have always stepped up to offer support when needed most. This time, it is for our own neighbors and communities,” Hobbs said. “The Combined Fund Drive is always an option for those to support fellow Washingtonians in their time of need, in a reliable and secure way.”
The DRC directs interested donors to verified and registered crisis-relief charities during periods of natural or humanitarian disasters that exceed a region’s capacity to provide help. The DRC does not endorse any specific charity but rather shares relevant and accurate information about the organizations to help inform donation decisions.
Historic amounts of precipitation from a level 4 atmospheric river have pushed rivers to major, near-record flood stages, causing communities in Western Washington to experience widespread flooding, dangerous travel conditions, and damage to homes, property, and infrastructure around the region. Governor Bob Ferguson issued an emergency declaration and activated the Washington National Guard on Dec. 10 as conditions worsened.
State employees and retirees can make a one-time donation or set up a monthly payroll deduction through the Combined Fund Drive and use the charity code to designate the donation toward one of our member charities assisting in the affected area. For more information on specific charities involved or to set up a payroll contribution, go to https://give.wa.gov/cfd/Disaster-Relief-Center.
Members of the public and non-state employees can use a secure link to make an online donation at https://give.wa.gov/events/?2025-wa-state-floods.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime and the Civic Engagement Program to increase governmental trust and participation for all Washingtonians.