Oct. 24, 2003 News Release King County's efforts to reduce flood hazards helped protect people and property from record-setting rainstorm Despite record rainfall on Monday, King County's floodplains came away largely unscathed. Unlike 1990 and 1995, for example, when Phase Four flooding on the Tolt River resulted in devastating property damages, similar Phase Four flows earlier this week on the Tolt did not create major problems. Some of that can be attributed to natural hydrologic conditions, but the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks is also certain its flood hazard reduction and surface water management efforts in recent years have contributed to much safer conditions for people and property in King County floodplains. "This was the largest rainstorm on record. And yet, based on what we experienced during serious flooding in 1990 and 1995, I have little doubt that the incredible work of King County's Flood Hazard Reduction, Capital Improvement and Stormwater Services programs helped avert major problems in our floodplains and neighborhoods this time around," said Pam Bissonnette, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks. "Residents living in flood-prone areas can rest a little easier knowing these programs are working on their behalf." During Monday's record-setting downpour, the county's Drainage Complaint Line fielded only 10 calls that required investigation by Surface Water Services staff. About 25 more have come in the days since. By contrast, King County investigated several hundred complaints in the January 1990 storm event. "Long-time county staff saw a pronounced difference in the number and types of calls for service and the amount of damage," said Daryl Grigsby, Director of the Water and Land Resources Division. "This is the work we do every day. Surface water management isn't glamorous work, but the end result is systems and projects that protect public and private property, and even lives during record rainfall like we had this week." King County provides storm and surface water services and water quality management services in both the urban and rural areas of King County. The Water and Land Resources Division's Stormwater Services Section conducts inspection, maintenance, repairs and retrofits to flow control ponds, vaults and pipes during the summer to prepare for the rainy season. Services include updating the County's design standards for stormwater facilities, inspection and maintenance of public stormwater facilities, inspection of private stormwater facilities, enforcement of the County's drainage and water quality codes, and investigation of drainage, flooding, erosion and water quality problems reported by citizens. Grigsby said improvements to the county's Stormwater Services have resulted in bigger and better facilities being more closely monitored and maintained. Improvements have included more timely response and resolution to flooding, erosion, and drainage issues. The county's improved Surface Water Design Manual, which sets the standards for design of stormwater facilities required on new developments, is now the template for dozens of jurisdictions across Western Washington and is a nationally recognized model. Changes for the better include: The 1998 Surface Water Design Manual update achieved higher levels of flow control and water quality standards, resulting in reduced flooding, erosion, and water quality problems created by development activities. Improved and expanded maintenance standards have allowed for quick determinations of possible problems and a process to quickly correct those problems A Neighborhood Drainage Assistance Program has provided maintenance, capital improvement projects and quick fix solutions to drainage problems primarily affecting private properties. A retrofit program has resolved many identified flooding, erosion and water quality problems at county maintained facilities. A phased maintenance inspection program focuses staff efforts on facilities that have historically required a higher level of maintenance. A Management Information System update allows for higher detail of facility inventory and easier identification of historical maintenance problems. Improved customer service protocols to ensure we react to identified drainage problems in a timely manner and work to correct or refer problem to appropriate groups to resolve. King County's Flood Hazard Reduction and Capital Improvement programs are continually engaged in projects to reduce flood hazards and maintain levees, buying out or elevating chronically flooded homes, and updating floodplain maps to identify hazardous areas. "The truth is, our floodplain management programs are unsurpassed nationally," said Bissonnette. She points out that King County's Community Rating System rating is the highest of any county in the United States and translates into reduced flood insurance premiums for King County residents. Participation in the Community Rating System is managed and coordinated by the Flood Hazard Reduction Section and King County is recognized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its outstanding floodplain management program with a Class 4 Community Rating System rating. The rating means flood hazard insurance policy holders in unincorporated King County save 30 percent on annual premium costs, averaging more than $125 per policy per year. This translates into an annual savings of approximately $180,000 for King County property owners. King County's Flood Hazard Reduction program maintains more than 500 flood protection facilities, which help protect citizens and property owners from major river flooding. County staff work year round to inspect, repair and monitor these facilities, which reduce flood damages and protect public safety along King County's major rivers. The major river systems in King County are the White, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Cedar, Green and South Fork Skykomish. Since 1990, the county has repaired or upgraded 180 flood protection facilities at a cost of roughly $17 million. More than $10 million of that total was leveraged from federal, state and other grant funding. In the last three years alone, the Flood Hazard Reduction Section has finalized four major levee repair projects costing more than $1.3 million on the lower Green River within the Green River Flood Control Zone District. These four bank stabilization projects were completed to repair and significantly enhance the structural stability of the Desimone, Pipeline, Segale and Narita levees as a result of damages sustained during flood events in 1995 and 1996. At the same time, the repairs are providing floodplain habitat restoration. The county has also successfully leveraged federal and state disaster funds to acquire 34 chronically-flooded homes since 1990; 31 of those since 1995. All flood buy-out homes are demolished and removed from the floodplain, thereby providing improved flood storage and conveyance, as well as riparian corridor open space. What's more, since 2000 the county has helped local residents elevate 11 homes over FEMA's 100-year floodplain elevation standard. The Water and Land Division's Capital Improvement Program is also engaged in dozens of projects that protect people and property from flooding. For example: During Monday's rainstorm, the King County Parks and Water and Land divisions worked with Roads Division Maintenance staff to prevent flooding of roads and a school near Hicks Lake in White Center's Lakewood Park. New pumps were installed this week at the lake to deal with run-off from this urban drainage basin. A Renton community threatened by severe erosion in the Madsen Creek area was provided protection, in part, by one of the biggest installments of large woody debris in King County's history. The work, completed in the last two years, is helping to prevent landslides and erosion by stabilizing the steep slopes and controlling fast-moving stream flows. And two years ago, more than a dozen homes and 800 acres of farmland were protected from floodwaters in Enumclaw when an old failing drainage pipe was replaced using high-tech pipe-bursting technology. The $400,000 project to replace the ready-to-collapse pipe accomplished a key element in flood protection efforts. Also protecting people and property was King County's nationally-recognized Flood Warning Center which, when rivers rise to certain levels, alerts citizens, other public agencies, and businesses on a seven-day, 24-hour basis with information on flooding, road closures and other flood-related data such as weather forecasts and dam operations. During this week's heavy rains, staff at the Flood Warning Center made more than 300 call-outs to provide notification to floodplain property owners and responded to roughly 200 calls from the public. Field crews were also dispatched to protect and inspect the county's flood protection facilities and infrastructure. For more information about how King County prepares for and responds to flooding, please visit our Flooding Topics Web site. Related Information Stormwater Topics Report Drainage and Water Quality Problems King County Map of Watersheds News Releases

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