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.

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.

• 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.

Drier weather is coming, but flooding effects are likely to continue for days across portions of western Washington state and northwestern Oregon.

Heavy rains from an atmospheric river have caused widespread flooding and road closures in western Washington, prompting evacuations and school closures.

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.

Communities along the Skagit River, from Sedro Woolley to Mount Vernon, are on high alert as two atmospheric rivers threaten major flooding.Mount Vernon's Mayo