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Date:
October 20, 2003 EMERGENCY FLOOD ALERT for EASTERN SKAGIT COUNTY TONIGHT STATE ROUTE 20 IS CLOSED NEAR MARBLEMOUNT State Route 20, just west of Marblemount at Milepost 101 is closed due to water on the roadway. The National Weather Service is continuing to forecast serious flooding for the Skagit River system. The Skagit and its tributaries have been rising rapidly in the eastern, upriver portion of Skagit County. The prediction is that the river will reach 42 feet at Concrete at 11:00 AM tomorrow morning. At 10:00 PM this evening, the gauge at Concrete read 36.75 feet. The 10:00 PM gauge reading for Mount Vernon is 25.97 feet. The National Weather Service has revised its forecast for the Skagit crest in Mount Vernon to 38 feet at 11:00 PM tomorrow evening. Flood stage in Mount Vernon is 28 feet. City officials are tentatively planning to begin sandbagging of the downtown revetment, a paved parking facility adjacent to the river in downtown Mount Vernon, at 8:00 AM Tuesday morning. Volunteers are needed for this effort. Volunteers for sandbagging the revetment in Mount Vernon are asked to first sign in at the Mount Vernon Fire Station, located on South 2nd Street in downtown Mount Vernon. Volunteers are also needed at the Conway Fire Station at 8:00 A.M.
Earlier today shelters were opened at the following locations:
Skagit County Sheriff's Office is notifying residents upriver in eastern areas of Skagit County of Possible evacuation. Those areas include:
Personnel from the Whidbey Naval Air Station are now sandbagging around the Anacortes Water Treatment Plant. The Riverbend Road is closed. County officials and work crews continue to monitor the situation closely and take appropriate actions as necessary. Additional news releases will be issued as new information warrants. For updated Skagit River information call 419-3425 |