CONCRETE, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
Preston Massey feared the worst when sirens blared Friday morning near his riverfront home in Concrete.
“Run,” Massey thought. “That’s basically all you can do.”
Thankfully, the evacuation message that roared from the Baker River Dam’s warning system was a false alarm.
According to Massey, surrounding communities took the warning seriously.
“The community of Cape Horn, Cedar Grove, all the surrounding areas up and down South Skagit and Highway 20 immediately ran for the hills,” Massey said.
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) operates the Baker River Dam, and the utility company confirmed it is not failing.
“The alarm at Baker River Dam’s early warning siren system was activated at 10:12 a.m. and again at 10:30 a.m.,” PSE spokesperson Gerald Tracy said. “This is a false alarm, and the dam is not in failure. PSE is in contact with local authorities.”
Massey said his home along the Skagit River would likely be a total loss if the dam were to fail.
“If we do have a major dam failure, it is not an exaggeration to say there would be a 200-foot wall of water heading downriver,” Massey said.
PSE is reaching out to customers about the false alarm. The utility did not explain what caused the sirens to go off.
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