District 13 Fire Chief Wood Weiss has been participating in multiple Skagit County Department of Emergency Management Flood Watch Advisory meetings after forecasts predicted historically high water levels on the Skagit River last week. District 13 covers La Conner and the Swinomish Reservation.
“At our briefing today, the good news was that things aren’t as bad as they thought,” he reported at the district’s Dec. 11 meeting. “The bad news is that things are still bad.”
Weiss had driven the local coverage area and was particularly concerned about Landing Road for river flooding and Snee-Oosh Beach at high tide.
“I visited houses in that area and told them to take special care during high tides, especially if accompanied by high winds,” Weiss said.
Immediately after the nearly hour-long session, district officials began setting up an emergency operations center (EOC) at the Snee-Oosh Road station in anticipation of flood conditions.
Other notes from last week’s District 13 meeting:
- Through November, crews had completed 307 transports to area hospitals and handled 1,247 total calls in 2025.
- Commissioners set Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. for a traditional “push-in” ceremony for the district’s new water tender, which replaces a 30-year-old rig. The tender, built by Pierce Manufacturing in Florida, was purchased earlier this year for $700,000 and joined the fleet a few weeks ago.
- Capt. Andrew Lester closed the meeting by noting the district has applied for a 2026 Skagit Community Foundation grant to help purchase new emergency communication equipment.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
