Water damage can be a real headache for homeowners in Kent (and elsewhere, honestly). It's not something anyone plans for, but when it happens, it's crucial to know what to do. If you're dealing with water damage, you're probably feeling overwhelmed and stressed. But don't worry! This guide is here to help you navigate through the process of water damage restoration.
First things first, let's talk about what causes water damage. It's not always a flood or a major storm (though those are certainly culprits). Leaky pipes, malfunctioning appliances, or even a forgotten running tap can cause significant damage over time. Sometimes, it's the small things that lead to the biggest problems.
Once you've identified the source of the water, it's important to act quickly. Don't wait! The longer water sits, the more damage it can do. It can seep into walls, floors, and furniture, and before you know it, mold and mildew have become part of the equation. Yikes! So, what should you do? Start by turning off the water source if possible and then assess the damage.
Now, here comes the bit where most folks feel stuck: deciding whether to call in the professionals or tackle the job yourself. If the damage is minor, you might consider drying out the area with fans and dehumidifiers. However, if you're dealing with a significant amount of water or it's been sitting for a while, it's probably best to call a professional water damage restoration company. They have specialized equipment and expertise that the average homeowner doesn't possess.
Speaking of professionals, it's important to choose the right one. Not all companies are created equal. Do your research, read reviews, and ask for recommendations. And hey, don't forget to check if they're licensed and insured. You don't want to end up with more problems on your hands, do you?
Once you've got the right people on the job, they'll likely start with water extraction. They'll remove all the standing water and then begin the drying process. This might involve removing carpets, drywall, or even entire sections of flooring. It sounds like a lot, but it's necessary to prevent further damage.
And let's not forget about insurance! Before any work begins, contact your insurance company. They'll guide you through the process and let you know what's covered under your policy. Keep in mind that not all types of water damage are covered, so it's better to know upfront what costs you might be responsible for.
After the immediate crisis is dealt with, focus on prevention for the future. Regular maintenance of your home's plumbing and appliances can go a long way. It might seem like a hassle, but it's definitely worth it in the long run.
In conclusion, water damage restoration isn't a walk in the park (or even a swim in the pool). It requires quick action, careful planning, and sometimes the help of professionals. But with the right approach, you can restore your home and prevent future issues. Remember, it's not about the water that got in, but about how you handle getting it out!
The source of the White River is the Emmons Glacier on the northeast side of Mount Rainier. The river flows from ice caves at the toe of the glacier. Its upper reach is contained within Mount Rainier National Park. Shortly after emerging from the Emmons Glacier, the White River flows generally east, by the White River Campground, then the White River Ranger Station, after which it turns north. The river is paralleled by much of its upper course by State Route 410, called the Mather Memorial Parkway in the national park. After several miles the river exits Mount Rainier National Park and enters Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
The river turns gradually westward, passing several national forest campgrounds. Huckleberry Creek joins just below The Dalles Campground. Several miles downriver from there the White River is joined by one of its main tributaries, the West Fork White River, which also originates at a glacier in Mount Rainier National Park, in this case, Winthrop Glacier. A few miles downriver from the West Fork confluence another major tributary joins, the Greenwater River. The small settlement of Greenwater is located at the confluence.
Below Greenwater, the White River flows generally west. It passes Federation Forest State Park and is then joined by another tributary, the Clearwater River. Several miles downriver from there the White River is impounded by Mud Mountain Dam, which creates a marshy intermittent lake called Mud Mountain Lake. The dam was built for flood control purposes. Mud Mountain Lake only fills with water during conditions of exceptionally high stream flow.
Below Mud Mountain Dam the White River enters the greater Tacoma metropolitan area. It flows between the cities of Buckley and Enumclaw, after which it makes a large bend northwest and then southwest, essentially flowing around Lake Tapps. North of the lake, the White River flows through the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation. Below that, to the west of Lake Tapps, the White River enters a broad floodplain and flows past the city of Pacific before emptying into the Puyallup River at Sumner.
Lake Tapps is a reservoir created in 1911 for hydroelectric purposes. A diversion dam near Buckley taps the White River's water, sending a portion of it through a flume, a canal, and a pipeline to Lake Tapps. An outlet canal on the west side of the lake routes water through the turbines of the Dieringer Powerhouse, after which the water is returned to the lower White River (or Stuck River as it is locally called in this area) via the Dieringer "tailrace".[6]
Maps showing the changes of course and nomenclature of rivers in the Duwamish Valley, 1899-1959.
Before 1906, the White River joined the Green River near Auburn, and the combined river (under the name "White") joined the Black River at Tukwila, forming the Duwamish River, which emptied into Elliott Bay at Seattle. In 1906, a great flood coupled with a large log and debris jam diverted the White River southward into the Stuck River thence into the Puyallup River, which empties into Commencement Bay at Tacoma. The debris dam was replaced with a permanent diversion wall. Thus the White River remains a tributary of the Puyallup River today.[4]
In the late 19th century farmers along the White River were subjected to nearly annual floods. Sometimes farmers would use dynamite to divert the river into different channels. In 1899 one such explosion went awry and ended up diverting most of the White River into the Stuck River, thence the Puyallup. Dynamiting the river channels continued until the major flood of 1906 which ended up sending the entire White River down the Stuck River. Because of the risk of floods, the diversion was not wanted by Pierce County, which sued King County in an attempt to have the White River rediverted away from the Stuck River. The lawsuit dragged on for years until 1913 when the two counties reached an agreement. Pierce County would keep the White River, but King County would pay 60% of the cost of flood control. Dams, levees, and barriers were built along the White River in hopes of preventing major flooding, but in 1933 a large flood inundated the region. The two counties realized they were unable to tame the river and so turned to the federal government. The result was Mud Mountain Dam.[7]
Mud Mountain Dam, built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for flood control purposes, was completed in 1948. The dam blocks anadromous fish passage, so a "trap and haul" system is used, in which fish are transported around the dam by truck.[4] After Mud Mountain Dam was built, the farmers of the lower White River were freed from the previously near-constant worry about flooding.[7]
In 1911 a diversion dam was built near Buckley which, along with a system of dikes around the originally small Lake Tapps, created a larger reservoir. Over the years a small community has developed around the lake. The reservoir's water is returned to the White River about 20 miles (32 km) downstream from the diversion dam. Ownership and operation was transferred to Puget Sound Energy. Recently, Puget Sound Energy sold the lake to Cascade Water Alliance (CWA). CWA is currently undergoing environmental studies intending to use the lake as a drinking water source. The lake has also been the focus of water quality issues through a planning process identified in the Pierce County "White River Basin Plan", adopted November 26, 2013.[1][2]
The White River valley was the scene of violent clashes between Native Americans and the militias of Washington Territory as well as the U.S. Army during the Puget Sound War of 1855-1856. Volunteer US troops were ambushed[9] while on their way to work on a construction project near a ferry across the river in the last altercation in the war.[10]
Originally named after US representative, senator, and then vice president-elect William R. King in 1852, the county government amended its designation in 1986 to honor Martin Luther King Jr., a prominent activist and leader during the civil rights movement. The change was approved by the state government in 2005.
When Europeans arrived in the region that would become King County, it was inhabited by several Coast Salish groups. Villages around the site that would become Seattle were primarily populated by the Duwamish people. The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe occupied the area that would become eastern King County. The Green River and White River were home for the Muckleshoot tribal groups.[4] In the first winter after the Denny Party landed at Alki Point, the settlement at the point consisted of a few dozen settlers and over a thousand Native Americans. The local tribes provided the settlers with construction labor, domestic service, and help with subsistence activities.[5]
King County originally extended to the Olympic Peninsula. According to historian Bill Speidel, when peninsular prohibitionists threatened to shut down Seattle's saloons, Doc Maynard engineered a peninsular independence movement; King County lost what is now Kitsap County but preserved its entertainment industry.[8]
Coal was discovered in 1853 by M. Bigelow along the Black River, and in subsequent decades several companies formed to mine coal around Lake Washington and deliver it to Seattle. The Seattle and Walla Walla Railroad started servicing the Renton coal fields in 1877, and the Newcastle fields in 1878. By 1880, King County produced 22% of the coal mined on the West Coast, most of that coal being found within the Renton Formation's Muldoon coal seam.[9][10][11][12][13]
On February 24, 1986, the King County Council approved a motion to rename the county to honor civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (no relation to William R. King), preserving the name "King County" while changing its namesake.[14][15][16] The motion stated, among other reasons for the change, that "William Rufus DeVane King was a slaveowner" who "earned income and maintained his lifestyle by oppressing and exploiting other human beings," while Martin Luther King's "contributions are well-documented and celebrated by millions throughout this nation and the world, and embody the attributes for which the citizens of King County can be proud, and claim as their own."[17]
Because only the state can charter counties, the change was not made official until April 19, 2005, when Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law Senate Bill 5332, which provided that "King county is renamed in honor of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr." effective July 24, 2005.[18][19][20]
The County Council voted on February 27, 2006, to adopt the proposal sponsored by Councilmember Larry Gossett to change the county's logo from an imperial crown to an image of Martin Luther King Jr.[21] On March 12, 2007, the new logo was unveiled.[22][23] The new logo design was developed by the Gable Design Group and the specific image was selected by a committee consisting of King County Executive Ron Sims, Council Chair Larry Gossett, Prosecutor Norm Maleng, Sheriff Sue Rahr, District Court Judge Corrina Harn, and Superior Court Judge Michael Trickey.[24] The same logo is used in the flag.
Martin Luther King Jr. had visited King County once, for three days in November 1961.[25][26]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,307 square miles (5,980 km2), of which 2,116 square miles (5,480 km2) is land and 191 square miles (490 km2) (8.3%) is water.[27] King County has nearly twice the land area of the state of Rhode Island. The highest point in the county is Mount Daniel at 7,959 feet (2,426 meters) above sea level.
King County has been identified as vulnerable to higher risks of flooding caused by climate change due to the number of waterways in the area. The county's oceanic ecosystems are predicted to face harmful chemical changes, while the mountainous ecosystems could experience a decrease in ice and snow.[29] Since the mid-2000s, the county government has adopted policies to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the region.[28]
As of the 2020 census, there were 2,269,675 people, 917,764 households, and 537,466 families residing in the county.[48] The population density was 1,073.0 inhabitants per square mile (414.3/km2) There were 969,234 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 56.1% White (54.2% Non-Hispanic White), 6.7% African American (6.5% Non-Hispanic Black), 19.9% Asian (19.8% Non-Hispanic Asian), 0.9% Pacific Islander (0.8% Non-Hispanic Pacific Islander), 0.5% Native American, 5.2% from other races, and 10.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.7% of the population.[49]
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,931,249 people, 789,232 households, and 461,510 families residing in the county.[50] The population density was 912.9 inhabitants per square mile (352.5/km2). There were 851,261 housing units at an average density of 402.4 per square mile (155.4/km2).[51] The racial makeup of the county was 68.7% White (64.8% Non-Hispanic White), 6.2% African American, 14.6% Asian, 0.8% Pacific Islander, 0.8% Native American, 3.9% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.9% of the population.[50] In terms of ancestry, 17.1% were German, 11.6% were English, 11.1% were Irish, 5.5% were Norwegian, and 2.9% were American.[52]
Of the 789,232 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.5% were non-families, and 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.05. The median age was 37.1 years.[50]
The median income for a household in the county was $68,065 and the median income for a family was $87,010. Males had a median income of $62,373 versus $45,761 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,211. About 6.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.[53]
King County is home to two federally-recognized tribes, the Muckleshoot tribe and the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe tribe, and other unrecognized groups.[54] The Muckleshoot Indian Reservation is located southeast of Auburn and is home to a resident population of 3,606 as of the 2000 census.
The Snoqualmie tribe's casino property was federally recognized as their reservation in 2006, however few tribe members live near the reservation.[55]
In 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in King County was the Archdiocese of Seattle, with 278,340 Catholics worshipping at 71 parishes, followed by 95,218 non-denominational adherents with 159 congregations, 56,985 LDS Mormons with 110 congregations, 25,937 AoG Pentecostals with 63 congregations, 25,789 ELCA Lutherans with 68 congregations, 24,909 PC-USA Presbyterians with 54 congregations, 18,185 Mahayana Buddhists with 39 congregations, 18,161 UMC Methodists with 50 congregations, 14,971 TEC Episcopalians with 35 congregations, and 12,531 ABCUSA Baptists with 42 congregations. Altogether, 37.6% of the population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information.[56] In 2014, King County had 944 religious organizations, the 8th most out of all US counties.[57]
King County has the third largest population of homeless or unsheltered people in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).[58] The agency's January 2023 report, based on the point-in-time count system, estimates 14,149 people in the county have experienced homelessness;[59] the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) adopted a different methodology based on the number of people seeking services and estimated that 53,532 people in the county had been homeless at some point in 2022.[58][60] According to a survey collected by service providers for the county government, 68.5 percent of respondents said they last had stable housing in King County and 10.8 percent had lived elsewhere in the state.[61] Approximately 57 percent of the homeless population counted by HUD in King County was classified as unsheltered, either living in vehicles, encampments in public spaces, or other places.[62] The number of unsheltered individuals increased significantly in the late 2010s, leading to clearing of encampments and other structures by local governments.[63][64]
The county has 5,115 emergency shelter beds and tiny house villages, of which 67 percent are in the city of Seattle.[65] According to data from the KCRHA, since late 2022 over 90 percent of shelter beds have been occupied on a consistent basis.[66] Additional shelters, parking lots, and encampment sites are operated by charity organizations and churches in the area;[67] during severe weather events such as heat waves and cold snaps, local governments open additional shelter spaces, but these often reach capacity.[68] In 2021, a total of $123 million was spent on homelessness services by local governments in King County, including cities and the regional authority.[65] The regional authority's five-year plan, released in 2023, estimates that $8 billion in capital costs would be required to build and staff 18,205 new units of temporary and transitional housing to address the homelessness crisis.[69]
The county government manages elections, records, licensing, parks, wastewater treatment, and public health, among other duties. It also handles the criminal legal and incarceration system for all cities and unincorporated areas within King County. It has a sheriff's department that also provides basic policing to unincorporated areas.[74] The Department of Local Services, established in 2019, serves as the local government for populated unincorporated areas.[75]
King County is part of four congressional districts that each elect a member of the United States House of Representatives; the boundaries are redrawn every 10 years based on the results of the decennial census.[76] The 1st district comprises the Eastside cities north of Bellevue; the 7th district includes northern Seattle, West Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, and Vashon Island; the 8th district includes areas east of Lake Sammamish and the immediate Green River Valley; and the 9th district comprises the southern areas of the county from Federal Way to Seattle, Mercer Island, and part of Bellevue.[77] In the state legislature, the county has 17 districts that each elect two House members and one senator.[78][79] The majority of state legislators from King County are Democrats; only four House members and two senators are from the Republican Party.[78]
The people of King County voted on September 5, 1911, to create a Port District. King County's Port of Seattle was established as the first Port District in Washington State. The Port of Seattle is King County's only Port District. It is governed by five Port Commissioners, who are elected countywide and serve four-year terms. The Port of Seattle owns and operates many properties on behalf of King County's citizens, including Sea-Tac International Airport; many seaport facilities around Elliott Bay, including its original property, publicly owned Fishermen's Terminal, home to the North Pacific fishing fleet and the largest homeport for fishermen in the U.S. West Coast;[citation needed] four container ship terminals; two cruise ship terminals; the largest grain export terminal in the U.S. Pacific Northwest; three public marinas; 22 public parks; and nearly 5,000 acres of industrial lands in the Ballard-Interbay and Lower Duwamish industrial centers.[citation needed]
King County and Seattle are strongly liberal; the area is a bastion for the Democratic Party. No Republican presidential candidate has carried the county votes since Ronald Reagan's landslide reelection victory in 1984. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the county by 42 percentage points, a larger margin for the Democrats than that seen in any previous election up to that point in time. Slightly more than 29% of Washington state's population reside in King County, making it a significant factor for the Democrats in a few recent close statewide elections. In the 2000 Senate election, King County's margin of victory pushed Maria Cantwell's total over that of incumbent RepublicanSlade Gorton, defeating and unseating him in the United States Senate. In 2004, King County gave a lead to Democrat Christine Gregoire in her 2004 victory gubernatorial election, pushing her ahead of Republican Dino Rossi, who led by 261 votes after the initial count.[81] Rossi resided in the county at the time of the election, in Sammamish. In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by earning 75% of King County votes. Governor Jay Inslee also defeated Republican challenger Loren Culp with 74% of the King County vote in the concurrent gubernatorial election. These were the largest margins by any candidate in a presidential race and a gubernatorial race since the county's creation.[82]
In 2004, voters passed a referendum reducing the size of the County Council from 13 members to 9. This resulted in all council seats ending up on the 2005 ballot.
Some residents of eastern King County have long desired to secede and form their own county. This movement was most vocal in the mid-1990s (see Cedar County, Washington).[83][84] It has recently been revived as Cascade County.[85] According to a map published by the Seattle Times, four different geographic borders were considered.[86] Additional plans (see Skykomish County, Washington) also exist or have existed.
United States presidential election results for King County, Washington[87]
^Thrush, Coll-Peter (2002). "Creation Stories". In Mary C. Wright (ed.). More Voices, New Stories. Pacific Northwest Historians Guild. pp. 45–46. ISBN0295983108.
^Melder, F.E. (1938). "History of the Discoveries and Physical Development of the Coal Industry in the State of Washington". The Pacific Northwest Quarterly. 29 (2): 151–165. JSTOR40486284.
^Regional Transit Map Book(PDF) (Map). King County GIS Center, Sound Transit. February 2014. pp. 8, 17. Archived(PDF) from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^"County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. January 4, 2019. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
King County Snapshots presents King County, Washington, through 12,000 historical images carefully chosen from twelve cultural heritage organizations' collections. These catalogued 19th and 20th century images portray people, places, and events in the county's urban, suburban, and rural communities.
