As the rainy season kicks into gear, the City of Centralia is offering assistance to residents in navigating and obtaining insurance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program, according to Centralia Community Development Director Emil Pierson.
The flood insurance program is also offered to residents in Centralia’s urban growth area. The insurance is necessary for many as regular homeowner’s insurance does not cover damage caused by flooding, according to the city’s website.
“What are we expecting? As of Oct. 17, and as you can see outside, the Climate Prediction Center is expecting to see what we call ‘weak La Niña winter,’” Pierson said during a city manager report at a city council meeting last week.
La Niñas occur when the Pacific jet stream shifts northward, which can cause storms to be forced north around a high-pressure system in the north Pacific Ocean, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Pierson said that means the Pacific Northwest could see a wetter-than-average winter with below-average temperatures.
La Niña’s climate counterpart, El Niño, usually leads to dryer and warmer winters in the Pacific Northwest.
“Through January and March of 2025, we expect probably two major winter storms,” Pierson said. “As you can see right now, we have two back-to-back atmospheric rivers hitting us. Hopefully this is (major winter storm) number one. Maybe we’ll just get one other.”
Even with his optimism, Pierson cautioned the council that La Niña years often coincide with major flood events.
The five biggest flood events for the Chehalis River have all occurred during La Niña years — 1990, 1996, 2007, 2009 and 2022.
Additionally, four out of the five biggest flood events for the Skookumchuck River have been during La Niña years — 1990, 1996, 2009 and 2022 — along with the China Creek flood of 2022.
There are some examples of major flood events occurring during El Niño years, too, including both the Skookumchuck River and China Creek in 2015, Pierson added, but those were anomalies as El Niño years are typically dryer and warmer.
He said the city offers assistance to residents obtaining flood insurance annually in order to qualify for the National Flood Insurance Program and to ensure the city is meeting the standards of the multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan.
City residents who have not yet signed up for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program are urged to do so as soon as possible as even once the insurance is purchased, it still takes 30 days for the policy to take effect.
Additionally, the city’s floodplain management and land-use policies qualify residents for a 25% discount on insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.
“(Assistant Planning Director) Hillary (Hoke) did a fantastic job, as well as (City Engineer) Patty (Page), Public Works with Kim Ashmore, with his department … This was our recertification year, and it is very, very difficult and very time consuming,” Pierson said.
The National Flood Insurance Program is available through private insurance companies. It is available to those who rent homes, as well. To get a flood insurance quote, visit FEMA’s website at https://www.floodsmart.gov/.
For more information on FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, visit the City of Centralia’s website at https://tinyurl.com/36ddphf3.
To learn more flood protection in Centralia, including links to live NOAA National Water Prediction Service river flood gauges in the region, visit the city’s website at https://tinyurl.com/33um62ke.
For more information on the Chehalis River Basin and what’s being done to mitigate flood risk throughout the region, visit the Washington state Department of Ecology’s Office of Chehalis Basin website at https://tinyurl.com/3e3m9krc.
