Floods — Not If But When?

We all saw the news when they happened…

Houston, 2017 after Hurricane Harvey

Houston, September 2020 after Tropical Storm Beta

Houston, August 2021 after 21 inches of rain in short order

Houston, July 2024 after Hurricane Beryl — catastrophic flooding

Houston, July 2025 — NASA mapping shows the Guadalupe River Basin and the San Gabriel River are providing Texas authorities assistance in better protecting the area and preparing for the future with response and recovery operations.

Did any WA homeowners rush out to buy a flood policy because floods devastated Texas?

Pacific Northwest Floods

(2021) November 14 & 15 — Fraser Valley, BC flooded; November 13 brought lesser damage and flooding to Whatcom County.

December 2022 — Lewis County, WA recorded record-breaking water levels recorded by NOAA.

December 4, 2023 — The Stillaguamish River reached a record high of 21.34 feet / 6.50 metres at Arlington on December 5, beating the previous high of 21.16 feet / 6.44 metres reached in 2010.

December 2024 — The Skagit River was above Major Flood stage near Concrete. The Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skokomish, and Cowlitz were above Moderate Flood Stage in several locations.

How Many Floods Happened in 2024?

In 2024, there were 27 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the United States. These events included 1 drought event, 1 flooding event, 17 severe storm events, 5 tropical cyclone events, 1 wildfire event, and 2 winter storm events.

Right Here in Washington

Excerpt from P&C Specialist, January 5, 2026:

"…the flooding in Washington last month. The Snohomish River surged a record 34.1 feet high and some homes were flooded by about 15 feet of water. While floods are not uncommon in the state, flood insurance policies are.

Aaron VanTuyl, communications manager at the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, said Washington's geography makes it difficult to predict which areas will flood each year. 'The river basins are always changing the path for floodwaters,' he said. 'It's an ever-evolving threat.'

That could be one reason the state has an imbalance of insured households compared to its flood risk. As of December, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supplied 23,135 flood policies in Washington through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). According to VanTuyl, the state had 24,334 non-NFIP policies last month.

So of the two million residents living in flood-prone areas, as reported by the Seattle Times, less than 50,000 homes have flood insurance."

Believe it or not, a flood policy may not be as much as you think to have some peace of mind should the rivers rise — as they have been.

Call my office and ask for Kari or myself. We have both the Allstate National Flood Program overseen by FEMA as well as some private flood carrier options. Quotes are free. Flood damage rarely is. We welcome your inquiry.

360-746-7785