Authorities are investigating after at least two ballot boxes were set on fire Monday morning in the Portland, Oregon, area.
Police responded to a call about a fire in Portland about 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. An “incendiary device” was placed inside the box and security personnel extinguished the fire, officials said.
CNN has reached out to the Multnomah County Elections Division for comment.
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A second ballot box was set on fire early Monday morning at a bus station in nearby Vancouver, Washington, according to the Vancouver Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a “suspicious device” next to the box, which was smoking and on fire, police said.
The Clark County Elections Office said hundreds of ballots were damaged at the box in the C-TRAN Park and Ride at Fisher’s Landing Transit Center,CNN affiliate KPTV reported.
Laura Shepard, a spokeswoman for the city of Vancouver, said elections officials are asking anyone who may have placed a ballot in the box after 11 a.m. on Saturday to contact them to check on the status of their ballot.
The boxes are located about 15 miles apart. The one in Vancouver is in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive races in the country is taking place.
The district is represented by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, one of five seats held by Democrats in a district former President Donald Trump won in 2020. She is facing a rematch against Republican Joe Kent, a retired Green Beret who had Trump’s endorsement.
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Other fires affecting ballots have been recently reported across the country. Last week, a mailbox outside a Phoenix post office was set on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots. A 35-year-old man was charged with arson in connection with the incident. The Phoenix Police Department said he told them it was not politically motivated.
SEATTLE — The recent floods in Western Washington have left a trail of destruction, with swollen rivers depositing debris into Lake Washington, and over the weekend, the Mercer Island Police Department’s Marine Patrol Unit actively engaged in storm clean-up efforts, focusing on removing trees and logs that pose navigation hazards.
SEE ALSO | Atmospheric river impact: why landslide risks linger long after the rain stops
The operation is expected to continue for several weeks as river levels gradually recede, city officials said.
Three atmospheric rivers slammed the region in the span of a week, leading to widespread flooding and damage to the state’s infrastructure.
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Boaters on Lake Washington are urged to exercise extreme caution due to the hundreds of trees and logs floating in the water, the city of Mercer Island announced.
The Mercer Island police marine patrol is prioritizing the removal of free-floating debris that presents the greatest public risk, the department said Friday.
RELATED | King County identifies specific ‘levees of concern’ from floodwaters
Once these hazards are addressed, efforts will shift to clearing hazardous logs along public shorelines.
Residents and boaters who encounter free-floating logs or trees are encouraged to report them by calling the non-emergency line at 425-577-5656 or leaving a message at 206-275-7909.
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Access to the Mercer Island Boat Launch may be restricted as Public Works staff process and chip the recovered debris.
For logs accumulated against private docks or shorelines, residents are advised to contact private towing or landscaping services, as city resources are currently focused on ensuring public navigation safety, the city said.
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Thousands of people will gather in Bucks County next week to watch a reenactment of an event that shaped the course of United States’ history exactly 249 years ago.
Interpreters will bring to life the scene on Christmas Day 1776, when Gen. George Washington led some 2,400 troops through the icy waters of the Delaware River to reach New Jersey and fight back the British and Hessian soldiers in the Battle of Trenton.
For 73 years, Washington Crossing Historic Park has played host to the reenactment. Every December it transforms the commemoration of national history into a source of local pride and community, said Jennifer Martin, executive director of Friends of Washington Crossing Park.
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“I’ve spent so many Christmases with our community talking about the years of tradition that they have rooted within the park, people that have come here as children, people that are now bringing their children or grandchildren,” said Martin, who has worked with the organization for 12 years. “I think there’s just something so special about the idea that, on Christmas Day — which is, of course, such an important and significant day … individuals are not only making that time for their family, but they’re coming together as a community to create new memories together.”
Reenactors braved the snow on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, for the first of two reenactments of Gen. George Washington crossing the Delaware River at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Bucks County. (Courtesy of Friends of Washington Crossing Park)
As the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaches next year, the historic site is preparing a wide range of special events and programming, Martin said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, thinking about our nation’s founding,” she said. “We’re really focusing on opportunities to welcome our community in a way that really connects them to the history.”
From April through December, living history presentations at the site will play a key part in bringing the events of the revolution to life for local, national and international visitors, Martin said.
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The free programs include reenactors from On the Army’s Strength, a civilian-based group that highlights the role of the women who followed the Continental Army and contributed a range of domestic labor tasks, from doing laundry and cooking to mending uniforms and clothes.
A parade of Pacific storms accompanied by atmospheric rivers will continue to march into the West Coast through Christmas, spreading the threat of heavy rain from already flooded areas of western Washington and Oregon to California.
Now, the newest atmospheric river is set to arrive in California later today with increasing threats of flooding, mountain snow and gusty winds. This is further south than most of the atmospheric river events so far this month, but gives a break to the Pacific Northwest.
Let’s step through the timing, then who could see the most rain and the potential impacts.
Timing
Saturday night – Monday: The next atmospheric river arrives in Northern California late Saturday, stalls Sunday, and lingers Monday, especially north of the Bay Area.
Tuesday – Christmas Eve: A stronger storm will move into California with heavy rain and strong winds, first in Northern California, then spreading to Southern California Tuesday night. Some rain and mountain snow from this system could also stream into parts of Washington and Oregon.
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Christmas Day: A second strong Pacific storm could surge into California, with a second round of heavy rain, strong winds and heavy Sierra snow that could linger into the day after Christmas.
(MORE: What Is An Atmospheric River?)
How Much More Rain, Snow
– Western Washington and Oregon: Up to an additional 2 inches of rain can be expected through Christmas week, with locally higher amounts in the coastal ranges, and foothills of the Olympics and Cascades below snow level. Parts of western Washington remain waterlogged from recent rounds of heavy rainfall.
– Northern California: Widespread 3-inch-plus rainfall totals through Christmas, with 8-inch-plus rainfall likely in the coastal ranges and foothills of the northern and central Sierra, below snow level. Parts of the Bay Area could see over 5 inches of total rainfall, which would equal over a month’s worth of rainfall for San Francisco. Flooding is possible.
– Southern California: Most of the L.A. Basin from Santa Barbara to Orange County are expected to pick up at least 3 inches of total rain during the Christmas week storms. Locally higher amounts are likely in the Southland mountains below snow level. San Diego County may also pick up an inch or so of total rainfall.
– Mountain snow: Several feet of Sierra snow is possible, mainly with the pair of storms during Christmas week. Elsewhere, over a foot of additional snow is likely in parts of the Cascades and northern Rockies.
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Additional Rainfall, Snowfall Totals
Impacts
This heavy rain in California will likely trigger flash flooding and landslides, particularly in hilly and mountainous terrain and areas recently burned by wildfires. Be prepared to evacuate immediately if you live near a burned area. Long-duration flood watches are now in effect for Northern California and much of the Central Valley.
Rain will also fall at higher elevations than usual in these atmospheric river events, potentially melting existing snowpack adding to the threat of flash and river flooding.
Strong winds with the Christmas week storms could down trees and knock out power, particularly in areas where the ground is soaked.
In western Washington and Oregon, this additional rain could prolong existing river flooding in some areas and could only increase the threat of landslides due to saturated ground.
Current Flood Alerts By The National Weather Service
Storm Recaps
To say it’s been a terrible stretch of weather in parts of the West has been an understatement.
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First, record flooding hit parts of western Washington. Then, as flood-ravaged areas were recovering, a powerhouse windstorm blasted much of the Northwest and Rockies on Wednesday, with winds clocked up to 144 mph and over 160 reports of wind damage in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
Spokane, Washington, recorded a wind gust of 75 mph on Wednesday afternoon. That is the second-highest known wind gust for the city. The Spokane River is also raging much higher than normal due to all the recent precipitation.
In nearby Pullman, Washington, widespread damage to trees, power lines, and traffic signals was reported along with a wind gust up to 81 mph. At least one house reported significant damage due to a downed tree.
In Idaho, two kids were seriously injured Wednesday morning by falling trees while waiting for the bus in Twin Falls. Local media is also reporting that one man was killed in northern Idaho when a tree crashed into his home.
An atmospheric river earlier this week dumped 2 to 5 inches of rain in the Cascades and Olympics of Washington state, with an additional 2 to 5 inches on Tuesday. These are the same areas that are still recovering from 10 to 18 inches of rain during last week’s procession of atmospheric rivers.
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This led to a pair of levee breaches in King County, one along the Green River in Tukwila, just east of SeaTac Airport, Monday, then early Tuesday morning in the town of Pacific, east of Tacoma.
(MORE: Evacuations Prompted From Washington Levee Breaches)
Jonathan Belles has been a digital meteorologist for weather.com for 9 years. His favorite weather is tropical weather, but also enjoys covering high-impact weather and news stories and winter storms. He’s a two-time graduate of Florida State University and a proud graduate of St. Petersburg College.
