EVERETT – Floodwaters blew a hole in the Ebey Island Slough Dike just before 8 p.m., and Snohomish County emergency officials say residents of the island should try to leave as soon as possible.
“It’s not a mandatory evacuation, but we’re strongly urging people on Ebey Island to consider leaving,” county spokesman Christopher Schwarzen said.
The breach measures 20 feet by 5 feet, and is located east of the Snohomish River, about half a mile south of Highway 2. It’s not clear how fast water is expected to flood the area.
The county Department of Emergency Management is calling every home in the area to notify residents of the breach, and Sheriff’s deputies are going door to door.
A crew of about 80 people has been moved to the area, where they plan to fill about 10,000 sandbags to try to seal the hole, Schwarzen said.
Residents who decide to leave should travel on Highway 2 westbound, Schwarzen said. That’s the only road out of Ebey Island that’s not currently closed due to flooding, he said.
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