SKAGIT COUNTY — The sun set Thursday over the soggy and worried people of Western Washington while the fast-running Skagit River, full of sediment and debris, swelled.

• Skagit River at Mount Vernon: By Friday, the river could break its record flood level of 37.4 feet by more than 2 feet. • Skagit River at Concrete, Washington: By late Thursday morning, the river is expected to break its record level of 42.2 feet as it's already more than 6 feet above the major flooding stage.

Evacuation orders impact 75,000 in Skagit County amid severe flooding threats, prompting emergency shelters to open for those seeking refuge.

The Burlington Police Department and Skagit County Emergency management issued a city-wide evacuation this morning, after initial reports that the Slough, part of the Skagit River watershed, has jumped its banks. The City has nearly 10,000 residents.

An estimated 100,000 Washington residents could face evacuation orders because of rapidly rising floodwaters, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office said Wednesday afternoon.

By David Ryder and Steve Gorman BURLINGTON, Washington, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Residents and emergency crews in towns along the rain-engorged Skagit River in western Washington state braced on Friday for

The urgency went up a notch in Mount Vernon Thursday night, amidst concerns about whether the levees and dikes will be able to hold a record crest.

City officials ordered an immediate evacuation in Burlington after water from Gages Slough rushed into homes. The Skagit River reached near-record levels, and flooding spread across Western Washington,

The National Weather Service expanded and extended flood watches across Washington and Oregon on Monday as a prolonged atmospheric river continues to push deep moisture into the region.