By Steven Schauer, Deputy Executive Director
At its April 1, 2026, meeting, the King County Flood Control District Executive Committee received an in-depth briefing on recovery work following the historic December 2025 flood event and reviewed a proposed budget amendment to help fund urgent repairs and related recovery actions in 2026.
The presentation underscored both the scale of the flooding and the scale of the response now underway.
Michelle Clark, Executive Director of the King County Flood Control District (KCFCD), and Laura Bradstreet, River and Floodplain Management Section Manager in King County’s Water and Land Resources Division, both presented to the Executive Committee. The committee was reminded that the December event was severe and historic. It triggered the longest Flood Warning Center activation in at least 40 years, and five of King County’s six rivers reached Phase 4 flood conditions. After inspecting flood protection facilities in January, County staff found that 163 facilities — about one-third of the system — sustained damage.
The KCFCD and County have spent the last several months reorganizing its 2026 work program to focus on urgent repairs that need to happen this year, before the next flood season begins in October. While not all of the damage can be addressed in 2026, the current focus is on the highest-priority sites where work is needed to reduce flood risk before the 2026/2027 flood season. Maintenance crews will also repair at least six sites using existing resources.
A generational flood event — and a reminder of why this work matters
Executive Committee members reflected on the broader significance of the briefing and on the KCFCD’s long-term investment in flood risk reduction across King County. During the discussion, Chair Reagan Dunn and Vice Chair Sarah Perry noted that while the severity of the December event varied from river to river, it was widely understood as a generational flood event. They pointed out that since the KCFCD’s founding in 2007, over $623 million has been expended on completing over 123 flood risk reduction capital projects, and that was before the historic December 2025 flood. Their point emphasized the fact that the KCFCD’s sustained investments over many years not only helped reduce flood damage and improve resilience across the region but also helped to save lives – despite the severity of the last flood, no lives were lost in King County.
A large body of work, and a short window to act
The briefing made clear that 2026 will be a critical year for recovery. It was explained to the Executive Committee that the proposal before them included urgent repairs that must be completed this construction season, new capital projects that need to begin this year but will continue into future years, and increased acquisition funding to help homeowners seeking buyouts after the flood.
The proposal depends on several important assumptions. Among them: the ability to secure needed real estate or easements quickly, continued emergency declarations to support expedited procurement and permitting, no new staffing, and timely coordination with tribes, cities, the public, and regulatory agencies. The proposal also assumes that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will partner with the KCFCD on six repairs in the Green and Snoqualmie basins through the PL84-99 program. If the USACE does not take on all six, the KCFCD will need to reevaluate its approach.
Basin-by-basin recovery work
The Executive Committee was guided through the emergency repairs already completed and the proposed 2026 actions in several river basins.
White River
In the White River, where communities experienced severe flooding in December, County staff have already completed multiple emergency repairs, many involving temporary HESCO installations. Proposed 2026 work includes replacing HESCO barriers, increasing pumping capacity at Government Canal, removing temporary flood barriers from private property as promised, and beginning early work to scope additional facility improvements for future years. The proposal also would increase the White River acquisition budget from $1 million to $11 million to respond to buyout requests, many of them in Pacific. The proposal also includes work in 2026 to look for ways to accelerate the Pacific Right Bank Levee Setback Project.
Committee members also discussed the importance of moving from temporary measures to more durable solutions where possible. The discussion also highlighted the importance of continued coordination with the City of Pacific and nearby jurisdictions, especially in areas where floodwaters cross local boundaries.
Cedar River
In the Cedar River, County staff highlighted emergency repairs already completed and described proposed additions including the Young Revetment, Orchard Grove Levee repairs, and a mitigation placeholder for emergency work that affected habitat. Staff said the mitigation item is meant to show transparency and a commitment to working with tribes and regulatory agencies to address the impacts of emergency flood response work. The proposal would also increase acquisition funding in the Cedar River Basin by more than $9 million to accommodate buyout requests.
Green River
In the Green River, the County completed seven emergency repairs and is proposing three urgent repairs for 2026. Staff said they hope to complete those in partnership with the USACE through PL84-99, and also hope to work with the USACE on the larger Desimone Levee Repair Project in 2027.
South Fork Skykomish and Snoqualmie Rivers
One emergency repair has already been completed in Skykomish, where a sinkhole was filled along the South Fork Skykomish River. Proposed additions for 2026 include Miller River Road Protection, Reif Road Levee Repair, Mason Thorson Ells Levee Repair, and the Reinig Road Revetment Damage Improvement Project. Staff explained that the Reinig Road project is too large to build this year, but the KCFCD could begin the work needed to launch it in 2026 so it can move forward in later years.
Funding the next phase of flood recovery
Following the briefing, the Executive Committee turned to the proposed second supplemental budget request tied to the recovery work. Executive Director Clark described the proposal as an early draft that will continue to evolve before reaching the full Board of Supervisors. She noted that the KCFCD already took action in February to fund $3 million in emergency flood response costs and over $7.3 million urgent repairs that could not wait. The new legislation is intended to fund the next phase of that work.
Clark said the amount currently identified for capital flood project repairs in this supplemental request is $27,616,119, though she emphasized that the numbers are still being refined and may change as staff continue their analysis and discussions with partner agencies. It also noted that acquisition requests are continuing to come in and that those costs may rise.
She also explained that one of the major policy questions ahead is whether any previously planned projects will need to be paused to make room for urgent flood recovery work. Those decisions, she said, will ultimately belong to the Board, and will need to be made in the weeks ahead.
Partnership remains critical
A key part of the Executive Committee’s discussion focused on the KCFCD’s coordination with the USACE. Deputy Executive Director Steven Schauer told the committee that the KCFCD expected to hear soon whether the USACE would move forward on the proposed PL84-99 repairs. That decision is important not only because of the expedited schedule, but also because the USACE would cover 80 percent of eligible capital construction costs under that program.
Committee members also discussed the possibility of additional state and federal support, including FEMA reimbursement, while recognizing that recovery funding remains uncertain and highly competitive.
Looking ahead
The central message from the April 1 briefing was clear: flood recovery is well underway, but much more work remains. KCFCD and County staff are moving quickly to complete urgent repairs before the next flood season, advance major projects that will take longer to deliver, and refine the budget and policy decisions needed to support that work.
As King County continues recovering from the December 2025 flood, the KCFCD’s focus remains on the same goal it has always pursued: reducing flood risk, protecting communities, and making smart, long-term investments in resilience.