Welcome to Skagit County

November 16, 2021 10 p.m.

Skagit County Flood Update

The Skagit River in Mount Vernon crested at 36.89 feet at 5:17 a.m. this morning. As of 3:30 this afternoon, the river level in Mount Vernon has dropped to 35.98 feet.

The Skagit River in Mount Vernon crested at 36.89 feet at 5:17 a.m. this morning. As of 7:15 p.m. this evening, the river level in Mount Vernon has dropped to 35.23 feet.

The Skagit River in Concrete crested yesterday, Monday, November 15, 10:45 a.m. at 38.93 feet. The river level in Concrete was 32.26n feet at 7:15 p.m. this evening.

The Samish River crested yesterday, Monday, November 15, 8:15 a.m. at 13.99 feet. The river level has dropped as of 7:15 p.m. to 10.60 feet.

Flood Warning Extended. The National Weather Service has extended the flood warning for the Skagit River through late Thursday night, November 18, as stating: “The area will dry out with the end of the rainfall for a few days. However, with so much water in the system, it will take some time to drain the flood waters. In addition, the dams on the Skagit were able to absorb a significant part of the flood but with the reservoirs near maximum pool levels, that water must start being released. This will slow the recession of the river levels downstream.”

Recommended evacuations. Residents of Fir Island and Sterling have been recommended to evacuate.

Samish Island was added to the recommended evacuation / shelter in place list this morning at 10:30 a.m. due to the likelihood of water over Samish Island Road as the Samish River crest moves west toward the river delta. This has the potential to cut off Samish Island from the mainland. Historically, it has taken several days for the Samish watershed to empty, prolonging the possibility of Samish island being cut off. As of 9 p.m. on November 16, the road is believed to be passable.

The City of Mount Vernon has cancelled the voluntary evacuation orders for the West Mount Vernon and the Riverbend / Freeway Drive area.

Emergency shelters & Cold Weather. As temperatures drop, please remember that gas, propane, natural gas or charcoal burning heat sources should NOT be used indoors. These tools emit Carbon monoxide (CO )- an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness & death if inhaled. More info: bit.ly/3kFOKJ9

There are two American Red Cross shelters operating in Skagit, if you are in need tonight:

Bethany Covenant Church (1318 S. 18th Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273); and

Hamilton First Baptist Church (797 Hamilton Cemetery Rd, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284).

If you have questions or are not sure where to go, please contact Skagit County Department of Emergency Management at 360-416-1892.

Road closures. Numerous state and county roads remain closed due to water over the roadway. Washington State Patrol closed State Route 20 between Collins and District Line Road until further notice. Fir Island Road is closed at the North and South Fork bridges to through traffic to allow flood fight measures to commence today and into the night as the crest moves through the river delta.

For a complete listing of current County and State road closures, visit www.skagitcounty.net/reporting/roadclose and https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/map" respectively.

Power outages: The Puget Sound Energy Power Outage Map shows many in the community without power. Falling trees will continue to be a concern as the ground is so saturated. Motorists should be aware and residents should be prepared for outages over the next 24-48 hours.

For more emergency information, sign up for the emergency information listserv, CodeRed Alerts or follow Skagit County on Twitter @SkagitGov. The River Level Hotline (360- 416-1404) and www.skagitcounty.net/flood are updated frequently during events with current conditions and can be resources for information as well.