The 2025 Snoqualmie Valley Flood Forum was held Nov. 19, the first event of its kind since 2019.

The Flood Forum brings together local flood experts across jurisdictions and occupations to discuss flood issues. The theme of the 2025 event was “Resilience in the Valley: Flood Preparedness, Risk Mitigation and Recovery Resources.”

The forum was organized by Angela Donaldson, a Fall City leader who sells flood insurance through Hauglie Insurance Agency and is a member of several local flood efforts, including the Snoqualmie Fish, Farm and Flood oversight committee.

“We don’t like to see a lot of people impacted by flood,” she said at the event. “This information, I think, can be carried forward and [help you] build connections with your neighbors and be more informed, make wiser decisions about mitigating your homes and protecting your family.”

On the panel, Donaldson was joined by Ken Zweig of the King County Flood Warning Center; Regina Fletcher from the Floodzilla program; Luke Eckert, Duvall’s emergency management coordinator; and John Cooper, Snoqualmie’s building official.

“We’re really trying to provide good information for people so you can make decisions that are going to save you money, protect your health and safety and your quality of life,” Zweig said at the event. “The idea is that the more knowledgeable you are about flooding and the resources that are available, the better off you’ll be, because you’ll be able to make good decisions.”

Flood resources

• The Snoqualmie Valley is part of the King County Flood Control District, a government entity that provides funding and policy oversight for King County projects and programs. At kingcountyfloodcontrol.org, there are several helpful resources for residents, including a flood risk map that can be searched by address, signups for King County flood alerts and information about how to prepare your home for flooding.

• The Flood Control District also provides a Be Flood Ready brochure that informs residents on what to do before, during and after a flood event, available at kingcountyfloodcontrol.org/flood-resources/be-flood-ready-brochure.

• For lower Snoqualmie Valley flood alerts, visit the Floodzilla Gauge Network at floodzilla.com/gage or download the Floodzilla app.

• Flood insurance is available privately at agencies like Hauglie Insurance, as well as through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by FEMA. Many Snoqualmie Valley residents are eligible for discounted NFIP insurance because of the mitigation efforts taken by their local government. For more information on NFIP, visit fema.gov/flood-insurance.

• King County has a program that allows the county to help owners in floodplains pay for elevations or buy homes from the homeowner to reserve as open land. For more information on who is eligible and how to apply, visit kingcountyfloodcontrol.org/home-elevations-buyouts.