Emergency Management Services of King County
The
Western Washington landscape is framed by the beauty of our natural
water resources. However, when conditions are right, these water resources
can turn into flooding hazards to our homes and property.
There are six major river systems that flow through King County: the Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Cedar, Sammamish, Green, and White rivers. Many communities in King County are located along the major river systems and in times of flooding these major rivers can be hazardous for residents who live and work in the geographic floodplains. Except for the Sammamish, each of these rivers descend from the crest of the Cascade Mountains to Puget Sound and are heavily influenced by snow and rain patterns in the mountains.
Combinations of heavy rain, melting snow, or other severe storm threats
can make floodplain living dangerous. Floodplain residents in King County
need to be aware of the risks posed to their community and incorporate
these risks into their preparedness plans. Additionally, urban King County
residents should be aware of hazards posed by urban flooding along city
streets, including transportation problems and impacts to residential or
business establishments.
Hazard-specific Preparedness
Steps
- Learn the safest route from your home or business to high ground.
- Make arrangements for housing in the event you need to evacuate
your home.
- Teach all family members how, where and when to turn off
utilities.
- Plan for a meeting place outside of the hazard area.
- If it has been raining hard for several hours, or raining
steadily for several days, be alert to the possibility of a
flood.
- Consider purchasing one more more pumps to use to remove water
in and around your home during heavy rains or flooding.
- Prepare for "severe storms"
and "power outages"
which often accompany floods.
- See
General Preparedness Steps below for more disaster planning basics.
Response
Steps
- Monitor your NOAA weather radio and
keep a local radio and/or television on for information and emergency
instructions.
- Have your disaster supply kit
ready to go if told to evacuate.
- If told to
evacuate, do so as soon as possible. Delay or refusal to evacuate can jeopardize
your safety, the safety of emergency responders, and hinder rescue
efforts.
- Move your furniture and valuables to higher levels in your home if
you have time.
- Move to higher ground away from rivers, streams, creeks and storm
drains.
- Do not drive around barricades, they are there for your safety.
- Never drive through a flooded area. Cars can be carried away by just
two feet (2') of water.
- Don't walk or wade through flood waters. You can be knocked off your feet by as little as six inches (6") of moving water.
Returning to Your Home After a Flood:
- Do not turn electricity back on if you smell gas or if the
electric system has been flooded.
- Wear sturdy work boots and gloves.
- Do not handle electrical equipment in wet areas.
- Use flashlights (not lanterns, candles or matches) to check
buildings containing natural gas, propane or gasoline.
- Follow directions from local officials regarding the safety
of drinking water.
- Clean and disinfect everything that was touched by flood waters and throw out any foodstuffs.
General Preparedness Steps
- Have and practice a family
disaster plan.
- Establish meeting places and phone numbers in case family
members are separated.
- Identify an out-of-state contact to call during a major
disaster or emergency; it will be easier to call out of the area
if local lines are tied up.
- Make sure everyone knows when and how to call 9-1-1.
- Keep your disaster supply kits
up to date. Make sure you have kits for your home, vehicle, work
and school.
- Get a tone-alert NOAA Weather Radio to receive emergency
notifications and up-to-date information and instructions.
- Teach all family members when, where and how to turn
off utilities. Make sure you have the appropriate equipment,
such as a wrench, handy.
- Make sure you understand the emergency plans and expectations
at your child's school and your work.
- Preplan alternate transportation routes to and from work and
other important destinations.
- Be sure to keep at least a half-tank of gas in your vehicle
at all times; power outages often accompany disasters and gas
stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.
- Know ahead of time what you should do to help family, friends or neighbors who are elderly or have special needs.
See "related links" for more details on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from this type of a disaster or emergency.
Related
Internal Links
Flooding
Hazards in King County (27:09)
(RealVideo
player required.)
- Personal Preparedness
- Basic - Better - Best!
- 2006 King County Flood Hazard Management Plan
- NOAA Tone Alert Radio
- Severe Storm
- Dam Failures
- Utility Outages
- King County Flood Warning System-River Gauges
- King County is StormReady!
- Department of Natural Resources & Parks - Flooding Topics
- Public Health Disaster Preparedness Information
- Cleaning basements after a flood
- Cleaning houses after a flood
- Disinfection of private wells
- King County Flood Hazard Reduction Services
- Emergency Management Agencies Contact Info
Related
External Links
- Disaster Preparedness Handbook
- American Red Cross - Flood Information
- FEMA Hazard Information on Floods
- FEMA - Are you Ready?
- Are You Ready? Recovering From a Disaster
- Home Safety Council
- Institute for Business and Home Safety - Protect Your Property from Floods
- The National Disaster Education Coalition (NDEC) - Disaster Guide
- US Army Corps of Engineers - Seattle Division
- NOAA - National Weather Service Forecast Office-Seattle
- NOAA Floods
- National Weather Service Flood Safety
- National Weather Service - Hydrologic Information Center
- US Geological Survey - NWISWeb Data for Washington
- US Geological Survey - River Data for the Nation
- WA State Emergency Management
- Intellicast: Weather for Active Users
- Nova - Flood!