MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Snohomish County homeowner says flooding was ‘really scary’ as river swept through roads

Dec 6, 2023, 10:04 AM

(Photo from Xվ 7)...

(Photo from Xվ 7)

(Photo from Xվ 7)

Steady, relentless rain led to flooded streets and homes along the Stillaguamish River. The river hit its highest level around 9 a.m., cresting at 17 and a half feet. An hour later, at 10 a.m. the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management deemed the Stillaguamish at major flood stage. A homeowner who lives adjacent to the South Fork said his home started to flood around 4 a.m.

“I got up immediately and we just started putting towels down in front of the doors, putting tarps down in front of the doors as well, trying to do anything to keep that seal to keep that water from coming in. We shut all the circuit panels down, had to go kill the power to my hot tub just so we don’t short circuit the house or anything like that,” said Curtin Babbs.



He and others also said at times, all they could do was sit and watch the water take out whatever was in its way.

“The flow of the river on the road matches the one on the actual river and there’s logs floating by, mailboxes and bins, propane tanks all that stuff,” said Babbs. “That was actually really scary honestly, just seeing basically a river on my sideyard.”

“Logs, trees, I’ve seen a couch go by with lawn furniture on it,” said Kathy Grooms, who lives a little over a mile away with the river rushing directly behind her home.

Grooms’ garage completely flooded, with only about a foot of space left above the water.

“You can see it is probably about 15 inches down maybe less. You can see where there is the watermark. I’ll be out of power until this goes down. Hopefully, I’ve got some friends who will let me come over and shower,” she said.

Just this fall, she began to prepare for her first flood season in her riverside home.

“It did go up my stairwell. I happened to put in a door just preparing for a flood because you never know when it’s going to happen. It didn’t go all the way up the stairwell, it went about five steps up versus filling up the whole hallway so it did help,” said Grooms.

She also told us that she has flood insurance but was left speechless when she learned she’d have to fork up a $10,000 deductible to use it.

“It’s really kind of a shame that flood insurance, the deductible is $10k, and at $10,000 it’s just such a rip-off, I’m sorry.”

Grooms’ neighbors have power and have been helping her charge her phone and bringing her what she needs from town.

The Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management said right now, it’s too early to tell how many homes were affected in Tuesday’s flooding.



MyNorthwest News

paralysis center pnw pushing boundaries...

Luke Duecy

Pushing Boundaries saved after community raises $200K to keep PNW’s lone paralysis center open

Pushing Boundaries was on the brink of shutting down. The nonprofit needed to raise $200,000 in just a few days in order to keep its doors open.

2 hours ago

pickleball courts...

Julia Dallas

Pickleball courts to replace Seattle’s sole homeless RV parking lot

New pickleball courts will transform Seattle's RV parking space, addressing business concerns.

2 hours ago

memorial day...

MyNorthwest Staff

What’s open during Memorial day in Washington?

Discover which stores and services are open this Memorial Day in Washington, ensuring a hassle-free holiday experience.

4 hours ago

watch streaming theaters memorial day weekend...

Frank Sumrall

New on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and theaters: Your Memorial Day weekend viewing guide

For those staying in and not traveling this Memorial Day weekend, here’s what to look out for in terms of the best new shows and movies to watch.

15 hours ago

Washington windstorm - King County...

Aaron Granillo

WA congressional delegation asks Trump again for ‘bomb cyclone’ aid

Washington's Congressional Delegation seeks Trump's support for disaster declaration after November's devastating bomb cyclone.

17 hours ago

amazon white house tariff...

Xվ 7 News Staff

Amazon hit with lawsuit over allegedly toxic rice containing toxic metals like arsenic, mercury

A new class-action lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court alleges Amazon sold rice products containing toxic heavy metals—including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury—without disclosing their presence to consumers.

17 hours ago

Snohomish County homeowner says flooding was ‘really scary’ as river swept through roads