In the face of the impending flood season, Snohomish County is stepping up to provide essential resources and tools designed to support community members navigating the challenges of flood response and recovery. The county's various departments have arrayed a comprehensive suite of services to proactively address the multifaceted aspects of flood preparedness.
One key resource is the Annual Flood Safety Guide, courtesy of the Conservation and Natural Resources Surface Water Management (SWM), which offers vital information on flood-related topics. These vary from understanding your property's flood risk to actionable steps for protecting your home and preparing for potential flooding. Snohomish County's SWM doesn't stop there, providing additional services such as a Drainage Investigation Request to report any persistent drainage issues, technical assistance for elevations, relocations, and buyouts of flood-prone homes, and a robust Flood Information Center webpage for one-stop access to flood resources.
The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) equips residents with tools like SnoCoAlerts and the Snohomish County Public Safety Hub, which disseminate emergency alerts and share comprehensive emergency information, respectively. They also maintain the Snohomish County Hazard Viewer, an interactive map showing natural hazard areas like flood zones and landslide history. The 2025 Disaster Preparedness Guide offers pragmatic advice on staying safe amidst flood season and various other hazards.
Post-flood measures are covered by the Health Department, which has compiled a guide on Cleaning Up After a Flood, detailing the health and safety precautions vital when preparing for or returning home after floods have occurred. Additionally, Planning and Development Services (PDS) engages property owners with development requirements and flood hazard information, including Flood Insurance Rate Maps, critical for understanding flood insurance needs.
Lastly, Public Works (PW) is prepared to tackle issues such as clogged drains or culverts—residents may call Road Maintenance for assistance. Moreover, during flood events, PW's active County road closures are conveniently presented via an online map, red-highlighting the sections to indicate why a road is closed, complete with real-time updates. Social media platforms also offer the public continuous updates, thanks to Public Works’ active engagement on these digital channels.
