Snohomish County officials describe 'historic' flooding that submerged 36,000 acres and prompted rescues, shelters and ongoing recovery needs
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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 entered a flooded road, Schmidt said. Four evacuation orders affected areas including Ebey Island, the Tualco Valley, parts of downtown Sultan and the 3 Rivers Mobile Home Park, a combined total of about 790 residents under evacuation orders at peak.
The county activated its Emergency Operations Center from Dec. 9 through Dec. 24 with roughly 20 agencies participating; it stood up shelters at the fairgrounds that temporarily housed about 70 people and received more than 500 animals at a county livestock shelter (including 171 horses, more than 100 cows and other animals).
Schmidt described public‑works impacts: 52 emergency road closures, hundreds of unique debris or washout response locations and inspections of more than 30 scour‑critical bridges. DEM said about $2.4 million of damage is included in the county’s FEMA declaration request; Schmidt said state‑level damage estimates may exceed $120 million and emphasized that FEMA declaration remains a presidential decision.
On recovery needs, Schmidt said an impact survey received 184 household responses reporting more than $5 million in structural losses; the county extended a solid‑waste voucher program through March for debris removal and is coordinating with nonprofits to help residents who lack access to trucks for debris transport. DEM noted long‑term priorities: road and trail repairs (including sections of the Whitehorse Trail), supporting agricultural losses (hay, fences, greenhouse losses and expected crop impacts) and addressing mold‑infested RVs being used as primary residences.
What comes next: DEM is conducting an after‑action review to identify improvements and is coordinating with state and federal partners on FEMA and USDA assistance. Schmidt said volunteer coordination is routed through local nonprofits such as Salvation Army for disaster case management and that the county is exploring partnerships with Washington Conservation Corps for trained, safety‑cleared crews.
Ending: Committee members praised volunteers and asked for guidance on how community groups can help; DEM advised local, coordinated volunteer efforts and said more substantive recovery will depend on federal and state reimbursement decisions.
