Residents fear for their homes after Skagit River floods

Some residents in the town of Lyman fear they may lose their homes, several days after the Skagit River reached its highest level in 11 years.

A shed sitting on top of a cliff by the Skagit River collapsed Friday evening. That specific area experienced up to 200 feet of erosion since Wednesday, Lyman Mayor Eddie Hills said.

Now, the edge is just feet away from a home nearby.

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The Skagit County Board of Commissioners formally requested help from the Army Corps of Engineers on Friday, stating that the town's "critical infrastructure" may be at risk if a temporary berm is not built. Officials say the town's fiberoptics, water mains and power lines may see damage.

Hills says the Army Corps of Engineers told him that help will likely not arrive for at least a month because the Skagit River's water levels have started receding.

"When I first called it in on Wednesday afternoon, they said there was no threat to infrastructure," Hills explained, "Now, after the fact, they're saying it was a threat. They're going to come in and do some work either in the next 30 days or when we have another flood."

While flooding has exacerbated the erosion, concerns have been present for neighbors near the water for years.

Richard Guidinger showed us a letter sent to him by engineers representing the Army Corps of Engineers in 2015.

"The increased current and high flow has undercut the bank and is creating an increased emergency situation for several houses that are located on the east side of the once dry slough," says the assessment written by Widener & Associates, "We believe the situation calls for a solution."

For now, residents are watching, waiting and evacuating nearby homes. Guidinger, who has been on his property for decades, says it's the first time he remembers flooding causing so many problems.

"It's horrible and it's heartbreaking," he says, "What do I do? I'm paying house payments on something I can't even sit on right now."

Cox Media Group