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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 30, 2003
ASSESSED PUBLIC FLOOD DAMAGES
EXCEED $11 MILLION IN SKAGIT COUNTY
Clean up effort continues as
Skagit County mops up flood damage
SKAGIT COUNTY The Skagit County
Department of Emergency Management (DEM) submitted a preliminary Damage
Assessment Summary to the State of Washington today totaling more than $11
million in damages. The estimated damage amount for public property (flood
fight costs and damage to government infrastructure) excluding state and
federal property totaled $9,460,486. This total includes dike and drainage
districts, cities and towns, Skagit County departments, and other agencies.
The Private Damage Assessment
that was presented to the Washington State Emergency Management Division has
been revised from $1,298,660 to $1,943,610. These are just the assessments
that have been reported to date, said DEM Director Tom Sheahan. We project
the actual damage figure to be much larger.
Damages reported to DEM by the
American Red Cross officials as of October 29, 2003 were as follows:
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20 single family residences destroyed (verified by American Red Cross).
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14 mobile homes destroyed (verified by American Red Cross).
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88 single family residences with major damage (verified by American Red Cross).
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27 mobile homes with major damage (verified by American Red Cross).
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87 single family residences with minor damage (verified by American Red Cross).
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54 mobile homes with minor damage (verified by American Red Cross).
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2 apartment buildings destroyed (verified by American Red Cross).
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1 apartment building with minor damage (verified by American Red Cross)
To report flood damage, persons
are encouraged to call the Department of Emergency Management at 360-428-3250
between the hours of 7:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. This
office will be open this weekend, Saturday, November 1, and Sunday, November 2.
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Road and bridge damage in Skagit County was primarily concentrated in the
eastern portion of the county where flood levels were recorded at an all-time
high of 42.2 feet, more than 14 feet above flood state at Concrete.
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During the flood event, law enforcement and fire agencies conducted evacuations
in eastern Skagit County and portions of Burlington and Mount Vernon.
Approximately 3,425 persons were evacuated during the flood fight, with 411
persons registering with the American Red Cross to stay in 10 different
shelters.
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The Red Cross served more than 50,000 meals and snacks in their relief effort
and operated 10 shelters. One shelter is still open at the Baptist Church in
Hamilton.
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The Skagit County Public Works Department will be conducting roadside pick up
of flood damaged items in the Hamilton, Shangri-La, and Cape Horn communities
on November 5-6, 2003. This is an effort to remove flood damaged materials as
quickly and efficiently as possible, said Solid Waste Section Manager Gary
Sorensen. County crews will be in the Cape Horn area on Wednesday, November 5
and in the Hamilton, Shangri-La communities on Thursday, November 6. Citizens
are asked to place their flood damaged items on the roadside for pick up.
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The relief and clean-up effort in Hamilton, Shangri-La and Cape Horn continues
with the Skagit Interfaith Flood Recovery organization in operation with a goal
of 100 four-person teams to assist residents in those communities.
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The Skagit County Health Department is giving free tetanus shots to all
volunteer workers and residents of Skagit County who may have been affected by
the flood. Shots are administered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 to 4:30
at the Skagit County Health Department at 700 South Second Street, Mount
Vernon, until November 7. For more information call 336-9477.
For further information, contact:
Dan Berentson
360-419-3461
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