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Snohomish County officials describe 'historic' flooding that submerged 36,000 acres and prompted rescues, shelters and ongoing recovery needs
Summary
Emergency management told the county committee that last month's atmospheric river event flooded roughly 36,000 acres, prompted 68 water rescues and one fatality, triggered extensive road and infrastructure damage and created urgent debris‑removal and housing needs as FEMA reimbursement remains uncertain.
Lucia Schmidt, director of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management, briefed the Health and Community Services Committee on Jan. 27 about last month’s historic flooding, describing the event as both large in scale and prolonged.
Schmidt said roughly 36,000 acres — about 56 square miles, including riverbeds — were underwater at some point during the event; the Snohomish River spent more than 11 days in an "action phase" with levees overtopping in designed locations that diverted water away from denser residential areas.
In the emergency response, county swift‑water rescue teams pulled 68 people from floodwaters during the first days and rescued 19 pets; the county recorded one flood‑related fatality when a driver…
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