The City of Sultan sits at the confluence of the Sultan and Skykomish Rivers. Its location provides wonderful recreation opportunities. However, it also presents challenges, especially during times of heavy rain when the rivers rise and overflow their normal channels. About 30% of Sultan residents are located within the Flood Hazard Area.

• Flood Facts
  • Snohomish County is the second most flood-prone county in the State of Washington.
  • The Skykomish, the Sultan, and the Wallace Rivers, these three river systems create the floodplains of the city of Sultan.
  • Flooding frequently occurs in all of these systems. Records show that significant flooding has happened ten times since 1980, with the Thanksgiving flood of 1990 the largest on record.
  • Snohomish County is the number one repetitive loss area in the region.
  • Flooding problems associated with these river systems include over-bank river flooding, rapid stream channel migration, and stream bank erosion.