The second week of October marked this year's Flood Awareness Week in Washington. Flooding is relatively common in the state, with each of Washington's 39 counties having received at least one presidential disaster declaration due to flooding since 1970, according to the state's Department of Ecology. With the rainiest part of the year starting in October, here's what experts say you should be doing in case one hits.
According to Hollie Stark, outreach program manager at Washington's Emergency Management Division, flood preparation can be daunting, so it's best to start early, before the rainy season begins.
"In general, people think, 'Oh my gosh, this is going to be so overwhelming,' and so they don't want to do anything," Stark said in a phone call with McClatchy. "One of the things that we always like to say here at the emergency management division is that you can survive if you get prepared. Just start taking those steps now, while it's dry, while we're still seeing these beautiful fall days of sun."
How to protect a house from flooding
The first step that people who live in flood hazard areas should take is to purchase insurance, Stark said.
"So one of the first things I would say is that if you know you live in a floodplain, on a riverbed, in an area where runoff is prevalent and you don't have flood insurance, now is the time to look into flood insurance," Stark said. "Purchase your flood insurance, get those policies put in place."
Once you've done that, Stark says that emergency management recommends taking photos of your valuables and storing them either on the cloud or on a flash drive that you store in a waterproof cover. That way, if a flood does hit, you have proof of the damage it caused and can get proper coverage from your insurance company.
Other steps you can take to protect your house from flood damage include raising appliances, limiting the use of crawl space and installing hooks and shelves, WSDOE spokesperson Curt Hart told McClatchy in a phone call.
What if you have to evacuate?
In addition to making sure your house is protected, Stark said that people should be ready in case they have to evacuate.
"You want to make sure you're collecting all of your really important documents: your passport, your marriage or divorce certificates, your birth certificate," Stark said.
The EMD recommends having at least half a tank of gas in your car at all times if you live in a high-risk area, and having three days worth of essentials, such as non-perishable food and toiletries, packed and ready.
"We recommend people have at least 72 hours worth of supplies in a bag, or a rollable cart that they can use if they have to evacuate really quickly, so your basic food, water, hygiene, first aid," Stark said. "And then we always add, make that personal. So if you have something that you can't function in your normal day to day life without, you want to include that in your kit."
Lastly, the EMD says that it can be helpful to know the terrain of your neighborhood and city, so you can plan how you would evacuate.
"You're going to want to know your neighborhood, so you're going to plan for evacuation," Stark said. "So where do you live? What are your ingress and egress? How are you going to get out of the neighborhood if you're told to evacuate because a large flooding event is going to occur?"
Which areas are highest flood risk?
No matter where you live in Washington, EMD recommends being prepared for potential flooding, since each county in the state has experienced flooding. However, certain, more local, geographic features can put you at higher risk.
"If you're in a floodplain, obviously, if you live where runoff is going to be prevalent, so by steep hills, or where you might experience landslides, you're on a coastal area that could experience additional storm surge. If you live in an area that has recently had a wildfire and there's a burn scar, that is also really bad for flooding," Stark said.
If you're not sure about your area's flood risk, Hart and WSDOE recommend checking the Federal Emergency Management Administration's flood risk maps. You can enter your city name or address and find out your location-specific risk. The Nature Conservancy also maintains a county-by-county flood risk map for Washington state.
Geography also matters for determining when you're at the highest risk of flooding, Stark said.
"In western Washington we see a lot of floods caused by rainy weather, those big atmospheric rivers that jump a lot," Stark said. "And in eastern Washington, we'll see it mostly because of rain on top of snow, or really fast snow melt."
As a result, flooding is more common in the western part of the state during late fall and winter, according to the National Weather Service, while eastern Washington tends to see more flooding in the winter and spring.
What should you do if a flood hits?
In the case that a flood hits and you do have to evacuate, Stark said that there are a few steps you can take to help stay safe.
"If there is a flood, don't try to walk or drive through flooded areas," Stark said. "Make sure you have multiple ways to get alerts... and just make sure you're tuning into your trusted sources of information."
The EMD maintains a resource to help you find and sign up for local emergency alerts.
Stark said that people often assume they can drive through water, but that it's one of the most dangerous flood-related misconceptions around. and can damage your car.
"You just do not want to mess with that," Stark said. "So six inches of water can knock a person off of their feet. About two feet of moving water can take large vehicles and float them down."
Additionally, Washington's mountains and coastline puts much of the state at risk for landslides, which Stark said you need to keep in mind during a flood.
"Washington has a pretty big landslide risk as well when things flood, and we do have a lot of coastal areas," Stark said. "I would say, learn about the geography and topography of the areas where you are. Make sure you know what signs are and really pay attention ... and learn about the land and understand your hazards."
With a La Niña year expected on the horizon — the National Weather Service says there's a 60% chance that the weather pattern, which leads to wetter weather in the northwestern U.S., emerges this fall — it's especially important to be prepared for potential flooding this year, according to Stark.
"We are going into a La Niña year," Stark said. "We do expect it to be wetter than usual and colder, so we will have all the necessary ingredients for potential flooding this year, and so it's a great time to think about flood awareness and all the things we can do."
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