King Co. wants to borrow $40M to prepare for flooding

King County Executive Kurt Triplett is seeking permission to borrow $40 million to relocate elections operations, beef up a jail and sewer plant and bolster levees around the Green River in preparation for the possibility of fall floods.

Triplett said he will ask the Metropolitan King County Council for the money this week so county services would function normally if problems at the Howard Hanson Dam send water into the streets this autumn.

During a news conference in a Kent park overlooking a rebuilt bank of the Green Monday, Triplett, Gov. Chris Gregoire and the Army colonel who might ultimately control the region's fate said the threat of flooding is too real not to take precautions.

"The only responsible thing to do is be proactive," Triplett said.

After heavy rains last winter, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found problems with the earthen dam's right abutment which, if ignored, could destabilize the structure. Engineers have worked through the summer on a temporary fix, but the Corps may release water during heavy rains to maintain the dam's integrity.

The Corps might cause a flood to make sure the dam doesn't collapse and cause a bigger one.

While dry weather or successful temporary measures may prevent such a washout, city, state and county leaders said the county and valley's 26,000 residents need to prepare now.

"This is not a time to be frightened," Gregoire said, adding that leaders weren't trying to scare anyone. But she urged homeowners who could find themselves in the path of rising waters to create an emergency plan, put together a safety kit and immediately buy flood insurance, since policies don't go into effect until 30 days from time of purchase.

Army Corps of Engineers District Manager Col. Anthony Wright seconded her recommendation.

"I'd like to say all the levees on the Green River system look like this one," Wright said, glancing down the high bank to the slow-moving Green. "Unfortunately, they don't."

The man who ultimately will decide when to release water said he saw a one-in-three chance that rains could be heavy enough this year to produce a flood — unless the temporary measures now underway work, reducing the odds of flooding dramatically.

Wright said early tests on how well the temporary fix was taking showed promise, but "it's way too early to declare that this ... will be effective," he said.

That, Triplett said, is why he is asking for the money at a time when the county is seeing multimillion-dollar budget deficits. The money would buy flood-fighting equipment, allow the county to raise the height of some of the lowest sections of levees and help protect county facilities that could otherwise wind up underwater.

He expects to present his request to the County Council in the next few days.

Craig Welch: 206-464-2093 or cwelch@seattletimes.com