Sept. 28, 2007
Sims pleased with best-in-nation flood honor, but ‘won’t rest easy’ until aging levees are repaired
October is ‘Flood Awareness Month' – King County residents urged to prepare
While record rain and floods last winter are still fresh memories, King County's flood plan and flood management programs were named among the best-in-the-nation today by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The FEMA rating means lower flood insurance rates for home owners in unincorporated King County beginning Oct. 1 for an average savings of $262 per year.
County Executive Ron Sims is recognizing October as Flood Awareness Month and praised county staff for their excellent planning, flood warning system, communications plan and home buy-out program that helped earn the high rating from FEMA.
However, he warned that the flood plan that helped win the award identified urgently needed repairs to the aging system of levees and flood protection structures
"This rating does NOT evaluate the condition of our flood protection facilities, which have been under-funded over the years and are in dire need of improvements," Sims said. "As honored as we feel for a best-in-the-nation rating, I won't rest easy until we have the flood prevention structures to match our floodplain management planning.
"This award essentially verifies the quality of the work done so far identifying the extensive capital improvements needed to improve protection of flood prone areas in the county," Sims said. "We have no time to waste when you consider the damage from record rain and flooding last year and that scientists are telling us global warming means more frequent and severe flooding."
FEMA named King County a Class 2 community in the Community Rating System. Only three communities have Class 2 ratings out of 1,200 participating communities nationwide. The City of Tulsa, Okla., and the City of Roseville, Calif., are the other Class 2 communities.
FEMA managers, who have supported King County's Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan, congratulated Sims and the county's floodplain management staff for its best-in-the-nation work.
"Seasonal flooding can pose significant threats to public safety and economic viability," said FEMA Regional Administrator Susan Reinertson. "King County's CRS Class 2 rating underscores a serious commitment to reducing and preventing flood losses, and recognizes their progressive and comprehensive approach to floodplain management."
"This is a wonderful honor for the work of our staff that is helping to keep people safe, reducing damages during floods and keeping flood insurance premiums down for our residents," Sims said.
"It is important to understand that this rating evaluates our planning and our programs – things like public information and flood preparedness activities, floodplain mapping, and buying out and elevating chronically flooded properties," he said.
The county identified $335 million in critical flood protection needs in the 2006 Flood Hazard Management Plan, which was unanimously adopted by the Metropolitan King County Council this past January.
The King County Council established a new countywide flood control zone district in April, and later this fall the council is expected to adopt a funding level for strengthening and maintaining the more than 500 flood control facilities across the county.
The new CRS rating is good news for King County residents living in floodplains. The county's flood insurance policy holders will begin to see a 40 percent reduction in their rates beginning Oct. 1, with an average savings of $262 per policy per year.
In recognizing October as "Flood Awareness Month" in King County, Sims reminded those living and working in flood-prone areas to be ready for the potential rising water levels during fall and winter, including developing a family flood preparedness plan. Details are available at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/flood/Before.htm.
Sims also reminded residents that historic flooding in November 2006 caused an estimated $33 million in new damage to the county's flood protection facilities – with damage to 25,000 linear feet of those facilities. November's flooding marked the eighth time since 1990 that King County was declared a federal disaster area.
King County's flood protection system includes more than 119 miles of levees that protect lives and more than $7 billion in economic infrastructure in the county's 25,000 acres of floodplain.
The King County departments of Natural Resources and Parks, and Development and Environmental Services work closely to coordinate the planning and implementation of floodplain management in King County to reduce the hazards and impacts to residents living in flood-prone areas.
Anyone can purchase flood insurance and property does not have to reside in a flood hazard area to be insured. For more information on flood insurance policies, residents should call 1-888-FLOOD29.
While floods can occur along King County rivers at any time of the year, most flooding occurs between November and March. Sims said the National Weather Service is forecasting wetter than normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest over the next several months.
Major flood disasters can destroy critical communications and public safety infrastructure and strain police, fire, and medical services throughout the entire region.
Sims noted that, according to a recent study by EcoNorthwest, Inc., a one-day shutdown of economic activity within King County's floodplains would cost the region at least $46 million in lost economic output.