November 17, 2021 2:00 p.m.
Skagit County Flood Update
The Skagit River in Mount Vernon crested Tuesday morning, November 16, 5:17 a.m. at 36.89 feet. As of 12:30 p.m. this afternoon, the river level in Mount Vernon has dropped to 33.11 feet.
The Skagit River in Concrete crested Monday morning, November 15, 10:45 a.m. at 38.93 feet. As of 12:45 p.m. this afternoon, the river level in Concrete is 30.17 feet.
The Samish River crested Monday morning, November 15, 8:15 a.m. at 13.99 feet. The river level has dropped as of 12:00 p.m. to 8.8 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.”
Emergency Shelters & Cold Weather. As temperatures drop, remember that gas, propane, natural gas and charcoal burning heat sources should NOT be used indoors. These tools emit carbon monoxide (CO)—an odorless, colorless gas that can cause sudden illness and death if inhaled. More info: bit.ly/3kFOKJ9
Two American Red Cross shelters remain operational if you are in need tonight:
- Bethany Covenant Church (1318 S. 18thStreet, Mount Vernon, WA 98273) and
- Hamilton First Baptist Church (797 Hamilton Cemetery Rd, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284).
Recommended Evacuations. Residents of Fir Island, Samish Island and Sterling have been recommended to evacuate.
Samish Island was added to the recommended evacuation / shelter in place list Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. Historically, it has taken several days for the Samish watershed to empty, prolonging the possibility of Samish island being cut off. As of 12 noon today, the road to Samish Island is passable.
Returning home after a flood. When returning to a home that’s been flooded after a natural disaster, be aware of health risks to your family. The information detailed here from Skagit County Public Health details helpful overview of safe returns to your home.
Recording damages—Individual assistance. Given widespread flooding throughout the state, and Governor Inslee’s disaster declaration, it’s possible that federal disaster assistance could be made available through FEMA. Learn more about disaster assistance here: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/information/fact-sheets
If your home has been damaged by the flood, please keep record of your property damages. This could be through photos, receipts, documentation provided by your insurance agency or the County assessor. The county will need to collect damage assessments for federal disaster assistance on the county level.
Road closures remain numerous and widespread. It does not take much water to pose significant safety risk to drivers and occupants. It could be several days before water recedes from some portions of the roadway. DO NOT DRIVE AROUND ROAD CLOSED SIGNS. For a complete listing of current County and State road closures, visit www.skagitcounty.net/reporting/roadclose and 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 ground remains saturated. Motorists should be aware. The possibility of outages exists over the next 24-48 hours.
If you have questions or are not sure where to go, please contact Skagit County Department of Emergency Management at 360-416-1892.
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.
Stay safe, warm and dry!
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