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Mount Vernon officials order closures, urge evacuation as Skagit River forecast tops 42 feet
Summary
Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan and Fire Chief Brian Harris warned of an unprecedented Skagit River flood cresting above 42 feet, ordered downtown city office closures, urged residents in the Honey Deer Flood Plain and 100-year flood plain to evacuate, and announced a West Division Street bridge closure.
Mount Vernon Mayor Peter Donovan and Fire Chief Brian Harris on Wednesday urged residents in low-lying parts of the city to evacuate as the Skagit River approaches "a little over 42 feet." Officials said the flood poses a risk of catastrophic damage and announced immediate operational closures and a planned bridge shutdown.
At a brief emergency update, Fire Chief Brian Harris, serving as incident commander for the Skagit County flood response, said, "We're looking at a little over 42 feet at this point in time," and that evacuation notices are being issued to residents who live close to the river in the Honey Deer Flood Plain. He told residents to consult maps posted by the City of Mount Vernon and the county to determine whether their properties are in the at-risk area.
The city’s maps will highlight at-risk addresses in red, while county maps will show them in yellow, Harris said. "On our maps that we've signed out through social media, we also have highlighted evacuation routes for you that are safe to travel and out of the flood plain," he added.
Officials announced infrastructure and operational actions to reduce risk. Harris said the West Division Street bridge that crosses the Skagit River in Mount Vernon is expected to be shut down "at approximately 12:00 tomorrow afternoon." Mayor Donovan confirmed the closure and repeated that residents on the west side and those in the 100-year flood plain should "pack up and to move to higher ground." He said, "The potential for catastrophic damage here is real."
Donovan said he has "made the decision to close city offices in the city of Mount Vernon that are downtown in the flood plain," and urged businesses in the flood plain to close on Thursday and Friday. He added that Skagit County residents have experience with flood events and encouraged people to follow official updates.
Chief Harris directed people seeking evacuation routes and flood-area maps to the City of Mount Vernon website for more information.
The city did not provide a precise forecast time for the crest beyond the numerical estimate of about 42 feet, and officials did not list mandatory evacuation orders by address during the briefing. The next steps for the public are to consult posted maps, heed evacuation-route guidance and follow updates from Mount Vernon and Skagit County emergency channels.
