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Flood Patrol: Heroes of the Drenching Storm
24 Dec
Summary
- Flood Patrol team monitors levees 24/7 during flood events.
- Volunteers with diverse backgrounds provide crucial on-ground data.
- Emergency response coordination prevented levee failures and saved lives.
King County's Flood Patrol team operated 24/7 during recent historic flooding, monitoring vulnerable levees and providing vital on-the-ground intelligence. Composed of volunteer professionals from diverse backgrounds within the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, the team assessed levee integrity and relayed real-time conditions to the Flood Warning Center. This coordination enabled swift responses with various agencies.
During a recent atmospheric river event, Flood Patrol members were instrumental in preventing levee failures. On December 16th, two members monitoring a barrier along the White River assisted in an evacuation in Pacific, an action credited with saving lives. This exemplifies the team's direct impact.
Further efforts included reinforcing the Segale levee along the Green River and quickly deploying sandbags to protect communities in Kent, Tukwila, and Renton after a breach. King County is now enhancing training and support for these round-the-clock responders.
