Flood water is not clean water
Water that comes in from Issaquah Creek, a ditch or the street carries soil, fuel, fertilizer and sewage. Restoration crews treat it as contaminated, which changes the job:
- Carpet and pad that sat in flood water usually come out rather than get cleaned.
- Drywall and insulation get cut out above the water line.
- Hard surfaces get cleaned and treated with an antimicrobial before drying.
- Crews wear protective gear, and you should keep kids and pets out of the area.
Wait until the water has gone down and the power to the flooded area is off before you go in.
Flood insurance is separate
Standard homeowners policies do not cover flood water that comes in from outside, including a creek over its banks. That needs a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private carrier.
Rain that comes in through a roof or a broken window is usually covered under a homeowners policy, so it matters how the water got in. Take photos showing where it entered before cleanup starts.
Before you dial, have these ready
- Where the water started, if you can tell: a supply line, the water heater, a toilet, a dishwasher, the creek, or rain getting in.
- Whether it is clean water, gray water from an appliance, or sewage.
- Which rooms and floors got wet, and about how long ago it started.
- Whether the water and the power to the wet rooms are off.
- Your neighborhood or nearest cross street, so the call goes to a crew that works your part of town.
Plan on a couple of minutes on the phone. That is usually enough to reach a local company and get a time for someone to come out.
The call is free. You don't have to hire anyone.
Issaquah Creek and the valley floor
Issaquah Creek runs right through town, from the hills south of the city past the salmon hatchery and Gilman Village to Lake Sammamish. Tibbetts Creek and the East Fork join it along the way. In a big winter storm, they can rise fast.
In February 2020, the creek came over its banks and firefighters evacuated more than 200 people from three apartment complexes. Backyards, basements and the first floors of condos flooded, and water covered parts of Gilman Boulevard, Front Street and Newport Way. A January 2009 flood closed Newport Way and flooded the lower units of the Park Shore Apartments. During the December 2025 atmospheric river, the creek flooded again and water filled the low ground at Confluence Park and Lake Sammamish State Park.
Most of those losses were on the valley floor near the creek. Higher neighborhoods see a different storm problem: runoff from saturated hillsides, clogged yard drains, and water pushing into garages and daylight basements on the uphill side of the house.
If the creek is rising, move valuables and cars to higher ground early, and keep an eye on King County flood alerts.