Crossposted from Field Notes

Historic flooding in December 2025 from back-to-back atmospheric rivers was an all-hands-on-deck response that required three weeks of 24/7 monitoring. With multiple rivers throughout King County experiencing extreme flooding at the same time, staff took on shifts and supported the coordinated flood response in positions outside of their normal day-to-day jobs, lending their expertise to meet the demands of emergency response and communications.

Women responded in full force during this record event. In the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, women hold diverse roles from across STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), administrative, project management, and communications fields. Women were in lead roles during the flood, managing upwards of 100 staff to deploy on rotating shifts, communicating across jurisdictions and agencies, and leading emergency repair construction crews. Read more.

Pictured: From left to right, flood responders Susan Hepburn, Jessy Hardy, Sophie Brooks, Zanna Kelley, Heather McPherson, and Marisa Landicho.