City updates hazard mitigation plan, encourages future flood planning

Last winter flooding in Issaquah caused widespread damage to buildings in and around the flood plane. In order to help people gain access to money available to disaster victims, the city has a hazard mitigation plan, part of a federal requirement to be able to apply for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The city held a public meeting Thursday to get input on the plan which was last updated in 2004. The updates include new projects the city wants to undertake to help prepare and avoid hazards, which range from flooding to earthquakes.

According to Bret Heath, the public works operations and emergency management director, the plan makes the city eligible for flood loss mitigation funds from the federal and state level. The plan is apart of the regional hazard mitigation plan being worked on by the county.

Heath said the plan is one of the ways residents can apply for funding to help repair damage. He said while FEMA has many routes for people to take, this is a piece of the puzzle.

“It’s a piece of mitigating future hazards,” said Heath. In Issaquah, floods are the largest reason for mitigation as parts of the downtown sector sit in the flood plane. The second largest reason for mitigation Heath said is seismic.

Heath said he hopes the plan will be before the city council in November or December for a vote.

Daniel Trimble, the economic development manager for the city, said the city is trying to get the word out about how to prepare for future flooding. He said the best ways to prepare are to become familiar with the city’s flood information system, which details the various flooding levels and the city and resident’s recommended actions, to determine whether or not a building is in the flood zone by calling 425-837-3400 or www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/flood.

Trimble said they also tell families to update their flood plans to include local emergency numbers and to route the safest route to high ground and the best way to get in touch with neighbors and employers in the case of an emergency. The city also recommends purchasing flood insurance.

On top of those recommendations FEMA suggests elevating furnaces, water heaters and electric panels if a home or business is susceptible to flooding, as well as installing check valves in sewer traps to prevent flood water from backing up into a home.

King County is currently considering creating a “Flood Czar” position, an idea which was brought to the County Council by Council member Reagan Dunn at the July 22 meeting. If approved the new position, which was primarily introduced to monitor activity in the Green River Valley, would coordinate implementation of individual response plans, as well as the allocation of manpower, equipment and resources within each jurisdiction to maximize the protection of lives and property, while also having the power to mobilize the National Guard to assist in emergency response.

To read the city’s flood information system visit www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/page.asp?navid=464 .

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