Nearly half of the business owners surveyed about potential flooding in the Green River Valley said they could not survive a closure of more than 24 hours.
The vast majority (82 percent) said they could not afford to be shut down for more than one week, and just about 5 percent said they could survive a closure of more than a month.
Those were among the findings of a survey of 126 businesses in Auburn, Kent, Tukwila, Renton and unincorporated King County.
The survey, prepared by Cocker Fennessy, Inc., was intended to help officials assess awareness of the flood risk posed by the weakened Howard Hanson Dam, and determine how best to communicate with businesses.
Almost all of the respondents (95 percent) were aware of the flood risk associated with the dam, and nearly half (47 percent) said they believe the risk of flooding this winter is "high."
Nearly half of the businesses were currently preparing or had recently begun preparing for flooding. Almost half (46 percent) had flood insurance, and most of those who did not cited expense as the reason.
More information about Green River Valley flooding, including links to resources, is available through the King County Flood Control District. Be sure to keep tabs on the Washington State Emergency Management Division's business Web site, too, for the latest news on Green River Valley flooding and other emergencies affecting businesses in the state.
