'Seattle News Weekly': WA flood conspiracy theories, traditions for the new year

'Seattle News Weekly S1E20': Flooding conspiracy theories & New Year's traditions

On this episode of Seattle News Weekly, FOX 13's David Rose and Lauren Donovan bring us the latest information on flooding across Western Washington and the Lauren takes a deeper dive into conspiracy theories surrounding it. The two also chat about New Year's traditions and what they are looking forward to in 2026.

SEATTLE - While the height of the atmospheric river flooding in our state has passed, social media users across the nation are continuing to draw attention to conspiracy theories surrounding the floods. 

On this episode of the "Seattle News Weekly" podcast, FOX 13 Seattle Anchor David Rose is joined by FOX 13 Seattle Reporter Lauren Donovan to discuss the distortion of reality when it comes to the floods in western Washington, which is inflated by AI-generated videos on social media and conspiracy theory videos by content creators. 

The hosts discuss the impact of the floods on the region. Lauren describes how she was in Washington D.C. on a trip with her family, while the news broke about the flooding. She notes how, from a reporter's standpoint, "…you want to be out there on the scene, not visiting your in-laws as there's a historic monumental event in your community." 

David and Lauren play a recording of Lauren's report about the distortion of reality online and the public's interpretation of the atmospheric rivers and floods. 

Diving into conspiracy theories and AI-generated videos

They talk about how social media was flooded with AI-generated videos, showing fake scenes of houses and cars floating away. 

The hosts dive into the conspiracy theories surrounding the floods — where mystics on social media, with verified accounts, claim they predicted the levee failures. Some posts claim the atmospheric river was man-made, whereas others say the levees were intentionally broken for financial gain. 

Along the lines of the online theory about intentionally breaking the levees for financial gain, in Lauren's story is a clip from an interview she did with the mayor of Pacific, who says there is nothing to profit from when it comes to federal aid.

After discussing Lauren's initial report, and the severity of misinformation online, the hosts talk about the ethics of modern media, where credible journalism is often filed into the same category as sensationalized content creation by many social media users. 

Lauren dives into the history of the 1906 floods in the region, and shares a historical anecdote about a feud between King and Pierce Counties, where farmers used dynamite to blow up and reroute the White River. 

Rituals and traditions for the new year

The podcast switches gears once again, when the hosts discuss New Year's rituals and traditions around the country, including eating collared greens for financial prosperity in the new year, black-eyed peas for good luck and eating 12 grapes under a table at midnight. 

Join us every Thursday to stay up to date on weekly news around the area.

Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible, or YouTube.

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