Washington’s Floods are a Warning. Let’s Rebuild Smarter in 2026.
This week’s atmospheric river didn’t just swamp Western Washington. It revealed how recovery still defaults to speed over sense. Evacuations, mudslides, rail service suspended, highway closures - the familiar cascade after torrents push rivers past major flood stage from the Skagit to the Snoqualmie. Emergency declarations and rescue operations are essential. But if we want fewer repeat losses next year, the bigger test comes after the water drops.
The national lesson is simple: stop treating disasters as one‑off events. The same neighborhoods and corridors take on water again and again because our funding and rules reward quick replacement over risk reduction. We know how to do better. The problem is we don’t organize recovery to deliver it.
Start by making every dollar do double duty. When roofs are repaired, raise electrical systems and mechanicals; when floors are replaced, add flood vents and breakaway features; when a bridge or pump station is restored, build to a higher protection level and document the avoided losses. States can set this expectation with their cost‑share policies and with model scopes of work that local governments can adopt on day one.
Next, make decisions with the best available data, not the easiest available map. Flood behavior changes as channels shift and development hardens ground. Communities should use observed crests, recurrence intervals, and updated hydraulics to guide siting and elevation for public facilities and housing. Where projects rely on older data, require a short written justification. That single accountability step prevents yesterday’s risk from being designed back in.
Third, simplify the survivor experience. Recovery stalls when households must navigate a maze of programs with conflicting timelines and paperwork. Governors and county executives can stand up a single “front door” for assistance: one application, one case manager per household, and a shared dashboard that shows progress across emergency repairs, temporary housing, home reconstruction, infrastructure, and small‑business support. Tie state matching funds to resilient outcomes - elevations, relocations, and code upgrades - not just speed of obligation.
Some places will need a different answer altogether: out of the flood zone. Voluntary buyouts and floodplain restoration are not retreats; they are forward moves that stop the cycle of loss, open space for water to spread safely, and save taxpayers money over time. States should pre‑identify high‑risk clusters, line up letters of interest, and pre‑negotiate relocation assistance so families aren’t trapped in limbo between storms.
Execution matters. Pre‑qualify contractors and lenders before the next event and write contracts with incentives tied to resilient outcomes. Create a standing local‑match fund so eligible projects don’t die waiting for budget cycles. Stand up a “disaster permitting cell” that fast‑tracks elevations, relocations, and critical facility hardening with pre‑approved design templates. Publish a public dashboard that tracks dollars to risk reduced - acres reconnected to floodplain, structures elevated or relocated, critical sites moved out of the inundation zone, so leaders and residents can see real progress rather than press releases.
Washington’s flooding is a stark reminder that response saves lives, but smart recovery saves lives and money. If 2026 is the year we normalize resilient rebuilding - using better data, simplifying access to help, and investing in fixes that cut repeat damage - the next storm will still test us, but it won’t erase so much of what communities have worked to build. The water will recede. What remains depends on the choices we make now.