King County's flood protection gets boost from County Council's unanimous vote

King County's levees and other flood-control facilities will be strengthened and improved so that they will continue to provide critical flood protection for thousands of lives and billions of dollars in property in our region, thanks to the Executive Ron Sims' flood plan that won unanimous County Council approval today.

Sims thanked members for their support and also urged the County Council to take the next step to implement the flood hazard management plan by taking action on legislation that would form a countywide flood control zone district.

King County's levees and flood-control facilities will be strengthened and improved so that they will continue to provide critical flood protection for thousands of lives and billions of dollars in property in our region.

"I extend my sincere thanks to the County Council for taking proactive leadership on flood protection with their unanimous support of this important public safety plan," Sims said. "We have been reminded several times over the past year that our flood-protection system is essential to helping keep people and their property safe from floodwaters."

Sims noted that record rainfall this past November caused significant damage to levees and other flood-protection structures throughout our region. The King County flood protection system includes more than 100 miles of levees and protects lives and property located in the 25,000 acres of floodplain, which also has more than $7 billion in economic infrastructure.

"The flood plan and the flood control zone district to implement the plan are critical to our region's public safety and continued prosperity," Sims added.

Sims said that with adoption of the plan, King County:

• Achieves a Community Rating System score of 2 with the Federal Emergency Management Administration, making King County the highest ranked county for flood protection in the United States;
• Provides residents of unincorporated King County with a 40 percent discount on their flood insurance; and
• Provides polices and projects for successfully managing King County's rivers and floodplains for the next decade.

Sims added that any repairs or improvements to King County's existing flood protection system would be made using the latest technical advances in flood protection to ensure that King County remains a national model for flood protection projects and practices.