Key facts: Lake Stevens
- Lake Stevens is a Snohomish County city of 35,630 built around a 1,040-acre lake, the county's largest.[1]
- Water exits through a channel beside Hartford Road into Catherine Creek, past a wood-plank weir that a 2020 study found does not adequately control the lake in the wet season.[2]
- The channel overtopped Hartford Drive in November 2021.[2]
One outlet for a whole lake
Water exits through a channel beside Hartford Road into Catherine Creek, past a wood-plank weir that a 2020 study found does not adequately control the lake in the wet season.[2] The channel overtopped Hartford Drive in November 2021.[2] FEMA updates moved some lakeside homes into a flood hazard area.[3]
A closer look in Lake Stevens
Hillsides and crawl spaces
On Cavalero Hill, water moves sideways through soil and comes out at cuts and footings. November brings about 5.8 inches of precipitation in published Everett normals, against about 1 inch in July.[4] Crawl spaces stay damp all winter. About 24 percent of occupied homes are rented, so tenants should report leaks early.
Flood claims recorded in Snohomish County
Lake Stevens sits in Snohomish County. FEMA publishes every National Flood Insurance Program claim with personal details removed, which gives a plain record of where water has reached insured buildings here.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Flood insurance claims on record | 1,961 |
| Year with the most claims | 2006 (329) |
| Largest named event | Flooding (377) |
| Claims outside high-risk A and V zones | 16% |
| Claims on buildings built before 1975 | 60% |
County-wide counts of insured claims only. Uninsured losses, burst pipes and appliance leaks are not in this data.
What the Lake Stevens claim record shows
For Lake Stevens homes, the local precedents are the events behind the most Snohomish County claims: Flooding (377 claims), Torrential Rain (303 claims) and 2025-12-Atmosphericriver (71 claims).
Around Lake Stevens, about 84% of county claims with a recorded zone came from the high-risk A and V zones, so checking your address on the FEMA flood map tells you a lot here.
If your Lake Stevens home is older, note that buildings from before 1975 make up 60% of county claims with a known build date. Many predate current flood maps, so inspect low outlets, ductwork and subfloors closely after any water event.
Federal disaster history for Snohomish County
FEMA lists 37 federal declarations covering Snohomish County. The most common types are severe storm (15), flood (13) and biological (2). The latest are Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides in 2016, Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides in 2021 and Bolt Creek Fire in 2022. When a declaration is open, federal aid may be available to Lake Stevens residents, so ask about it alongside your insurance claim.
Lake Stevens weather and your home
Weather records for Lake Stevens from 2015 through 2024 average 68 inches of precipitation a year, and November and December are the wettest months. The area averages 10.8 days a year with an inch or more.
Lake Stevens falls to 20°F or below on about 4 nights a year, which puts pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and garages at risk.
When rain falls in Lake Stevens
Seasonal averages for Lake Stevens, 2015 through 2024. Plan roof, gutter and sump pump checks before the wettest stretch.
| Season | Average | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | 21.3 in | 31% |
| April to June | 13.0 in | 19% |
| July to September | 7.2 in | 11% |
| October to December | 26.4 in | 39% |
Modeled from Open-Meteo historical weather data. Precipitation includes rain and melted snow.
Lake Stevens home checklist from these records
- Don't rely on recent quiet years. Only 16% of Snohomish County claims date from 2015 or later, so older floods still show what can happen.
- Insulate exposed pipes before 4-plus hard-freeze nights arrive, and know your main shutoff.
- Test any sump pump before November, since Lake Stevens averages 11 days a year with an inch or more.
- Keep dated photos of each room. After Flooding, 377 insured Snohomish County owners filed claims at about the same time.
What to tell the Lake Stevens contractor
- Whether you are on the lake
- Your neighborhood
- Whether a crawl space is wet
Services Lake Stevens callers ask about
Questions
Lake Stevens water damage questions
Am I in a flood zone at Lake Stevens?
FEMA's maps changed for some lakeside homes, so check your own address.[3]
How do I spot crawl space trouble?
Musty smell, cupping floors or high humidity upstairs in winter are common clues.
Sources and citations
- [1]Wikipedia: Lake Stevens, Washington
- [2]Everett Herald: Rainstorms push Lake Stevens to a near-record level
- [3]Everett Herald: Some Lake Stevens homeowners must buy flood insurance
- [4]Everett climate normals
- [5]OpenFEMA: FIMA NFIP redacted claims
- [6]OpenFEMA: Disaster declarations summaries
- [7]Open-Meteo: Historical weather API