County preparations kept flood rescues to minimum

Published 11:12 pm Saturday, November 15, 2008

Telephones rang simultaneously in more than 300 homes in a rural area between Monroe and Duvall before 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

The message, left in an automated voice, was the same for each house: “Prepare to evacuate.”

The Snohomish River was about to spill over its banks, and the people who live in the agricultural area were likely to be trapped by water.

It was the same situation they faced two years ago, when massive flooding throughout Snohomish County’s river system caused nearly $20 million in damage. The Snohomish River near Monroe reached 23.5 feet then — its highest stage in more than 10 years. Rescue crews used helicopters and boats all around the county to snatch people from areas that were quickly becoming giant bathtubs filled with floodwater.

John Pennington, Snohomish County’s director of emergency management, didn’t want that to happen again.

Early last week, when meteorologists warned that rivers could flood as much as they did two years ago, Pennington drew a polygon on a map around the rural area south of Monroe. Using a “Reverse 911,” an automated system called every telephone in that area and told residents to pack their bags.

“It was the first time we used that system, and it worked,” Pennington said.

Many people in the county are only beginning to assess damage caused by flooding that built up during days of drenching rain, but experts say devastation wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. Rivers, despite forecasts suggesting record-breaking floods, didn’t top any levees, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which sent experts to the county to monitor the situation. No major highways were closed, and far fewer houses took on water compared with two years ago.

“The good news is that the water just didn’t get high enough,” said John Engel, a supervisor in Snohomish County’s Public Works Department. “If it had gotten two feet higher, we would have seen those levees overtop, but that just didn’t happen.”

The other major reason the region was saved from serious problems is that people were better prepared, Pennington said.

Rainfall last week was about the same as it was during the 2006 flood, he said.

Then, dozens of people stayed in their homes too long and had to be rescued. This year, there were very few rescues. That’s thanks in part to community education from Pennington’s department, which didn’t find its footing until after the floods two years ago.

The county’s Department of Emergency Management was created in early 2006. When floods came that November, the department, staffed in part by former federal disaster management experts, wasn’t ready, Pennington said.

“We really used our professional knowledge to get through that storm,” Pennington said.

Since then, the department has created a countywide disaster plan. County disaster teams met with leaders in 10 cities and formulated action plans. Vulnerable areas were identified, and the reverse 911 system was set up.

County officials met with the owner of Three Rivers Mobile Park, where people live year-round in RVs and tents on the edge of the Snohomish River. They created an evacuation plan, and park residents executed it perfectly on Wednesday, Pennington said.

Plans were already in place for supplies to be delivered where they would likely be most needed. Last week, crews delivered more than 700 tons of sand and 7,500 bags to communities throughout the county, said Christopher Schwarzen, spokesman for county Executive Aaron Reardon.

“The 2006 flood is still fresh in people’s minds,” Pennington said. “We’ve created a common operating picture for the people of this county, and that message has gotten out. I thank the public for heeding the warnings and preparing their families because it cut down on the loss of life, and on the loss of property.”

“We had a heck of a lot of water, but thankfully, not a lot of people are hurting,” he said.

Reporter Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422 or kkapralos@heraldnet.com.

Damage to report?

Snohomish County residents, businesses and municipalities have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to report flood damage to the county Department of Emergency Management.

The damage assessments will be used to determine the need for possible state or federal aid.

All claims should be documented with photographs if possible.

County Department of Emergency Management staff will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to assist people who are reporting damage. For assistance or to report damage, call 425-388-5060 or go to www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Emergency_Management.