Summary

With climate change increasing the potential for more frequent and severe flooding in the Pacific Northwest, King County seeks community input on solutions for coastal, tributary, and urban flooding problems. Input collected during online meetings this month will help identify strategies for the update to King County’s Flood Management Plan.

Story

King County will host three public meetings in February to inform its work to update its flood plan for the first time in a decade. Past flood plans focused on mainstem river flooding, and while rivers will continue to be a focus of the updated plan, the new plan will also explore urban, coastal, and tributary flooding. These flooding types are expected to occur more frequently due to climate change.

Similar workshops were held in January, and conversations will continue in February with three, topic-specific online meetings

• Tributary flooding on Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon
• Coastal flooding on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. to noon
• Urban flooding on Monday, Feb. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m.

King County’s Water and Land Resources Division wants to hear from everyone who lives and works in areas – both urban and rural – who are at risk of flooding or have experienced impacts from flooding. In addition to reducing flood risk, the flood plan will help promote clean water, healthy habitat, improved recreation and open space, and sustainable agriculture, demonstrating the co-benefit approach of Clean Water Healthy Habitat.

These meetings are one of many ways the public can help shape the way King County will manage flooding in the future. Planning will continue throughout the year and will be submitted to the King County Council for its consideration in 2024.

Visit kingcounty.gov/FloodPlan for meeting details, and watch this video to learn more about King County’s plan to create a flood-resilient future. For more information about the flood plan, contact Jason Wilkinson, project manager, via email at jason.wilkinson@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-4786. 

Relevant links

• King County Flood Management Plan
• Workshop overview  
• Video: Creating a flood-resilient future
• Sign up for flood plan updates

For more information, contact: