Walla Walla County secures free sandbags to prep for spring flooding
By Dan Thesman on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA — Walla Walla County is bolstering its flood defenses ahead of the spring runoff, securing more than 10,000 free sandbags from the state to assist local municipalities.
Walla Walla County Emergency Management Director Chris Lee informed local officials Tuesday that the county will receive between 10,000 and 12,000 sandbags from the Washington State Department of Emergency Services (DES). The shipment is expected to arrive as early as the first week of February.
The influx of supplies comes after heavy flooding on the west side of the state depleted regional stocks. According to Lee, the state requested sandbags from all available sources during that crisis, but water levels eventually rose so high that the bags became ineffective. Consequently, the state was left with a surplus and offered it to local agencies to clear storage space.
“We didn’t hesitate on that,” Lee said of the offer. “We’ll take what we can get”.
Planning for the upcoming flood season has been underway since before the summer. Emergency management officials have held preparatory meetings with first responders and public works departments to coordinate a county-wide response.
The primary concern this year is “fickle” weather patterns. Lee noted that recent warm spells have triggered rapid melting of mountain snowpack, leading to elevated water levels in local tributaries.
The new sandbags will be distributed throughout the county based on need. Lee indicated he is working with public works to coordinate logistics and has reached out to smaller municipalities to determine if they require specific allocations of 1,000 to 2,000 bags each.
By securing these resources now, Lee said the county aims to be fully prepared if water levels reach critical stages later this spring.
