Brewster launches flood study in response to FEMA's elevated risk mapping

BREWSTER – This week, the city will embark on a study of past flooding issues and how to resolve them in response to an updated FEMA mapping report that claims the potential is greater than previously thought.

At its regular monthly meeting last Thursday, Feb. 15, the city council was advised that city engineers, the city planner, and representatives from the National Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) will begin an analysis of drainage from the Rat Lake/Swamp Creek drainage north of Brewster.

The FEMA map projects a worst-case, 100-year flood event that would affect a large swath of city residences and businesses if unchallenged.

“All that (property) in the floodway would no longer be able to get a building permit for new construction,” said public works director Lee Webster. “If something happens to their building and they want to get a building permit to repair it, they can’t get one.”

Webster said the FEMA scenario projects as much as 1,260 cubic feet a second of flood water rushing over Highway 97.

The Okanogan PUD substation is also located within the FEMA flood model, so the PUD has been invited to participate in the Brewster study group. 

“In the past, we have had some rain events that have caused some flooding.” said city finance director Misty Ruiz of water from the Rat Lake/Swamp Creek drainage. “There is drainage that goes under some of the businesses and the highway, so it floods right there.” 

In August 2022, FEMA sent its updated flood map to the city showing a greatly expanded flood zone outlining new areas where no construction or building permits would be allowed and others where flood insurance would be required. 

“We are required to adopt what they call a floodway, and we don’t want to,” Webster said then.

The city quickly went into action, contacted NRCS, and requested funding for a Preliminary Investigation and Feasibility Report (PIFR) to perform its own watershed and drainage study.

“We are lucky because we can control it. We can do something about it because we chose to do something about it,” said Ruiz. “We have the money, and we are moving forward.”

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media