FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Skagit County Floodwaters Continue to Rise
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As the Skagit River continues to rise, we anticipate several communities in the county to experience flooding throughout the evening and into tomorrow. We encourage anyone living in low-lying, flood-prone areas to plan and prepare to evacuate if needed. The communities most often affected by floodwaters include:
- Marblemount
- Rockport
- Thunderbird Lane
- Concrete
- Cape Horn
- Birdsview
- Hamilton
- Cockerham
- Lyman
- Day Creek
This list is not exhaustive, and we encourage anyone who has experienced flooding to monitor water levels in their neighborhood and be prepared to leave. If you believe you or your home is at risk, please leave sooner rather than later. The Skagit River is anticipated to reach its? highest point in Concrete at 10:00 p.m. this evening, December 5, 2023. Rescues at night can be unreliable and unsafe for both law enforcement and the public. Please ensure all your devices are charged if you need to reach out for emergency services.
The Red Cross has established a shelter at Hamilton First Baptist Church, 797 Hamilton Cemetery Rd., Sedro-Woolley, WA, to assist those who have been displaced due to the flood.
As a reminder, do not drive over flooded roadways and practice ?turn around, don?t drown.? Follow road closure and cautionary signs and don?t drive around barricades. Water can be deeper and faster moving than anticipated, presenting risks to drivers. These weather events also elevate the risk for rain-driven landslides, and some have already been reported.
The Skagit County Commissioners have signed Resolution #20230250 this afternoon to declare a county emergency due to the flood.
For health and safety related information about floods, visit the Skagit County Emergency Information webpage: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/EmergencyInformation/main?
For updated river forecasts, please call the River Level Hotline at (360) 416-1404 or visit the NWS webpage below for the most recent hydrographs.
https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=sew&gage=mvew1
To monitor road closures, visit the Skagit County road closure webpage here: https://www.skagitcounty.net/reporting/roadclose/
If you have questions, or are looking for a location to pick up sandbags, please contact Skagit County Department of Emergency Management at (360) 416-1850.
For more emergency information, sign up for the emergency information listserv, CodeRed Alerts or follow Skagit County on Twitter @SkagitGov. The River Level Hotline at (360) 416-1404 and www.skagitcounty.net/flood are updated frequently during events and can be resources for information as well.
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