© Skagit County Department of Emergency ManagementWater from the Skagit River reach a flood wall in Mount Vernon Friday.
Residents along the Skagit River north of Seattle are preparing to evacuate after heavy rains led the river to reach its highest level in 11 years.
According to the Associated Press, flooding forced the closure of more than a dozen roads and authorities with the Skagit County Department of Emergency Management were preparing for the possible evacuation of some 250 people. Further downstream, residents in Mount Vernon are also preparing for rising waters.
The Skagit River is in major flood stage in Mount Vernon with
water still forecast to rise as of Friday morning.
"The water just came so fast. We
tried to leave with our van, and it started floating. It filled with water," Hamilton resident Sandi Potter told KING5. "We just couldn't stay anymore so I called 911. I didn't know what else to do."
Lyman City Councilman Mark Harris told KING5 TV his
home is sliding into the river piece by piece.
"It's pretty tough to watch," Harris said.
Other residents are facing similar scenarios, including Harris' neighbor Richard Guidinger.
Comment: Also noteworthy is the fact that at least 69 individual birds have recently been recorded across Wisconsin. Additionally, it's perhaps interesting that the standard interpretation for these influxes doesn't seem to be holding true in recent years - that these invasions occur in 4 year cycles because of successful breeding fueled by periodic high numbers of lemming prey in the Arctic. This cyclic pattern looks to have disappeared this decade, see : SOTT Exclusive: Snowy owls flee northern latitudes for unprecedented fourth consecutive year - Sign of impending Ice Age?