Flooding is a regular event in Washington, but in mid-December the state faced an unusual situation: flooding across 13 counties at the same time. That put immediate pressure on mapping and data systems, and the staff who run them.
Within days of flooding starting, the state Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray shifted from monitoring to a full 24/7 activation. “It went very quickly,” said Joanne Pearson, State Geographic Information Officer at WaTech, who helped coordinate GIS efforts at the EOC. “They very quickly escalated from monitoring to a ‘it’s an all 24/7’ type of response.”
The flooding created heavy demand for geospatial information. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided satellite imagery directly to the operations center, NASA contributed more satellite data, and state agencies collected aerial imagery through drone flights. The challenge was turning that volume of incoming information into maps people could use to make decisions.
WaTech served as the clearinghouse, hosting data on state servers so agencies could work from the same source. The Department of Social and Health Services used inundation maps with client location data to identify residents who might need evacuation support. The Department of Transportation assessed impacts to bridges and infrastructure, and the Department of Agriculture examined effects on farmland and livestock.
Damage assessment work also shifted away from spreadsheets. Staff from the Department of Natural Resources, drawing on wildfire response experience, developed an application that let teams work from maps instead of spreadsheets.
It combined sensitive data, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s initial damage assessments, and local information such as photos and documentation. By combining flood depth maps with the state’s 911 address database, analysts could flag properties likely to have major damage and focus in-person visits, using 18 inches of flooding as a key threshold.
The response built on years of groundwork to normalize geospatial data sharing across state government. When WaTech staff directed agencies to existing platforms like Geoportal 2, GIS staff already knew how to access and use the data. The same secure data sharing practices used for routine work scaled up for the emergency, and WaTech set up a way for local governments to request access to certain datasets.
Support came from across state government when specialized expertise was needed, including help from the Department of Ecology and Department of Natural Resources wildfire GIS specialists. The 24/7 activation wrapped up toward the end of December, though recovery work continued into the new year. The damage assessment data collected helps Washington support federal disaster declarations and bring resources to affected residents.
Joanne said she was impressed with help-first mindset throughout the flooding, with people volunteering support at all hours. “If you need anything else, let me know, that was the attitude,” she said.