Skagit County officials warn of risk of landslides after historic flooding
CONCRETE, Wash. - Throughout most of November, flooding concerns have been top of mind for emergency managers in Skagit County. Now, the attention shifts to a growing concern: landslides.
"They’re more likely than normal," said Laura Han, who works with the Skagit County Office of Emergency Management.
The main concern as of Monday afternoon is two roads in Concrete – South Skagit Highway and Concrete Sauk Valley Road.
Engineers with the Public Works Department have been keeping an eye on the situation. That includes site visits, as well as information from the National Weather Service.
"We just wanted to make sure residents are aware that’s it’s a possibility," said Han, when asked about the alert that went out of locals.
As of Monday night, roads closures have not occurred, though that could change if the situation worsens. The main goal now is to get the word out for those who do not need to travel the roads to avoid them, while making sure those who live in the area limit travel to essential activities.
RELATED: Skagit County identifies several locations for increased landslide risk
"If you’re a person who lives up there be prepared for what you would do if an event occurred," said Han. "Preparedness can look like having a plan of where you’d go, or who you would shelter with."
She also suggested making sure, you have enough food and water to last 72 hours in the case of an emergency.
"They’ve got a really big hillside there," said Robert Smith, a Concrete resident who said the main concern he has is right alongside the Skagit River. "My wife and I have lived up here 15 years and we always worry about that hillside."
Smith, like many in the area, lost power two weeks ago during the initial round of flooding and storms. This time, the damage was less widespread; however, a family friend was flooded out of his home in Sumas for a second straight time.
"Overall, we’re resilient up here, we have to be," said Smith.
Time will tell whether Concrete residents will have to showcase more resilience. Han tells FOX 13 News that the past two weeks of floods has prepared the county, and their counterparts, for anything.
"The thing about landslides, it’s not like a flood," she said. "In a flood event, you know four to five days before. In the forecast, we can look and say, ‘Oh, this is not going to be good.’ Landslides happen when they happen. We’re just keeping an eye and trying to alert the public so they can be aware."
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