WA. State throws lifeline to some owners of flooded homes

The devastation of recent floods in Western Washington raises the question. Do you stay and try to rebuild, or do you move on? There is short term help that's being made available. A $3.5 million fund established by Washington State for residents affected by the flood.  

What happens in the long term? 

Some People who are living in properties that are flooded time and time again are looking into property acquisition or flood buyout programs.  

According to seattletimes.com,
‘King County has already received and followed up on several inquiries this month about its flood buyout program. The county expects more to come in as the extent of damages becomes clearer, program manager Ken Zweig said by phone Friday. 
At least three other counties in Washington — Snohomish, Pierce and Whatcom — have such programs. Several others provide funding to eligible residents looking to elevate their homes or give free guidance on how to prevent or lessen future flood damage on their property.’ 

The King County program offers property owners in flood prone areas the ability to register online and apply for the program, but registering online does not finish the process; there is a waiting list, and several steps must be taken before the county would be prepared to make an offer on your property. 

how it works

If the county decides to buy your property and you accept their offer, then at that point the county makes the purchase, will clear off any structures on the property, and it will be redeveloped into a “public natural area”. 

Other counties are offering suggestions and assistance on how to elevate properties to mitigate flooding.  

If you have some questions and need some answers, there is a phone number to call, King County 206-477-4732.