Rainy season is here: How to get Skagit flood alerts, and the rules for fall yard burning

After last winter’s flooding, the county wants every household signed up for emergency alerts. Plus what you can and can’t burn now that the ban is lifted.

The leaves are falling, the rain is back and Skagit County is heading into another flood season. After the December 2025 floods, which washed out roads upriver, county emergency managers say now is the time to get ready, before the river rises.

Sign up for Skagit Ready alerts

The county’s free Skagit Ready system sends emergency and severe-weather warnings for the addresses you register. You can sign up for your home, work, kids’ school or a parent’s house, and choose to get alerts by text, phone call or email.

You can also fill out an optional safety profile. It lets you tell responders about health conditions, mobility needs or anything else that could matter if they have to reach you in a disaster. Sign up on the Skagit County Department of Emergency Management website.

Know the three evacuation levels

• Level 1, READY: Danger is nearby. Make a plan, know your way out and pack essentials.
• Level 2, SET: Things could change fast. Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. If you need extra time or help, go now.
• Level 3, GO: Leave immediately and follow emergency officials’ directions.

Watch the river

The county’s Skagit River Level Hotline, (360) 416-1404, is updated every day during flood season with gauge readings and National Weather Service forecasts. Flood stage that triggers the county’s Phase 3 response is 28 feet at both the Mount Vernon and Concrete gauges.

And when water covers the road, don’t test it. Turn around. County officials warn that floodwater is often deeper and faster than it looks, and barricades are there for a reason.

Yard burning is back, with rules

Skagit County lifted its summer outdoor burn ban on Oct. 1, so residents in unincorporated areas can once again burn yard waste and land-clearing debris. Some rules still apply:

• Only natural vegetation like leaves, branches and tree trimmings can be burned. No garbage, lumber, building materials or demolition debris.
• Piles bigger than 4 feet by 4 feet need a permit, which you can get online through the county Fire Marshal’s office.
• Don’t let your smoke, ash or smell become your neighbor’s problem. Burns that unreasonably bother nearby properties aren’t allowed.

If you live inside a city or town, or in an urban growth area, county rules don’t apply. Check with your local fire department instead.

Contacts

• Emergency Management: dem@skagitcountywa.gov, (360) 416-1850
• River Level Hotline: (360) 416-1404
• Fire Marshal (burn permits): firemarshal@skagitcountywa.gov, (360) 416-1840

Sources: Skagit County, Skagit Ready Alerts; River Levels; Flood Warning Issued for Skagit County (March 20, 2026); Skagit County Lifts Outdoor Burn Ban October 1st (Sept. 28, 2026).