current situations and updates
For the most up to date information on current (active) emergencies, visit the above link provided by Humboldt County and Humboldt Office of Emergency Services.
Recovering Together: Safety and Cleanup After the King Salmon Flooding
Do not return to your home until it is safe to do so under the direction of Local authorities and aid organizations
Returning home after a flood can be distressing and complicated, this guide will help keep you and your family safe.
Recovering Together: Safety and Cleanup After the King Salmon Flooding
The recent historic flooding in our King Salmon community has been devastating, and as the water recedes, the urge to get home and start cleaning is strong. However, cleaning after a flood is very different from normal housework. To keep your family and neighbors safe, please follow these vital recovery steps.
1. Safety First: Before You Enter
Your safety is the priority. Do not return home until local authorities say it is safe to do so.
Check the Structure: If you see standing water against the outside walls, do not enter; wait until you are sure the roof and walls are stable.
Utility Hazards: Never enter your home until you are certain the electricity is turned off. Do not walk through standing water to reach a power switch; call your utility company for help.
Fire Safety: Use flashlights to inspect the building rather than lighters or matches, as gas may be present.
Wildlife: Floodwaters can drive wild animals or lost pets into buildings. Do not try to trap them yourself—call Animal Control. If you are bitten by a snake, call 9-1-1 immediately.
2. Document Everything
Before you touch a single item, take pictures and videos. Make a detailed list of all damage to the building and your belongings for insurance purposes and to register your flood damage.
3. The Race Against Mold
Mold grows incredibly quickly in damp environments. If you cannot dry your home and belongings within 24 to 48 hours, you must act as though you have mold
Protect Yourself: Always wear goggles, a mask, rubber gloves, and boots when handling mud or moldy items
Remove Water and Mud: Use a wet vac for standing water and shovel out mud before it dries
What to Keep vs. Toss: * Throw out anything that cannot be cleaned and dried within 48 hours.
Throw out porous items like baby toys, cosmetics, medicines, and food touched by floodwater.
Save items like photographs and books by freezing them; you can clean them later when you have more time.
Cleaning Hard Surfaces: Wash with soap and clean water, rinse, and then wipe with a bleach solution (1 cup unscented bleach to 1 gallon of water). Never mix bleach with ammonia.
Flood Cleanup & Stopping Mold
Cleaning after a flood is different from normal cleaning. Take steps to keep yourself and your family safe.
4. Protecting Your Health: Water and Food
Floodwater often contains "bad germs," sewage, and hazardous chemicals like pesticides or gas.
Water Safety: Assume tap water is unsafe until authorities tell you otherwise. If told to do so, boil water for at least one minute to kill germs.
Food Safety: Throw away any food touched by floodwater, except for undamaged metal cans or pouches, which can be disinfected. If the power was out for more than 6–8 hours, throw away all refrigerated or frozen food. When in doubt, throw it out!.
Carbon Monoxide Warning: Never use generators, pressure washers, or charcoal grills indoors. They create odorless, colorless carbon monoxide gas that can be fatal to people and pets.
5. Looking Out for the Vulnerable
Children: Do not let children play in floodwaters or help with cleanup.
Health Conditions: People with asthma, lung conditions, or weakened immune systems should not enter buildings where mold is visible or can be smelled.
Renters: If you rent and find mold, notify your landlord immediately—they are responsible for the cleanup. If they do not fix the problem, contact a city or county health inspector.
King Salmon January 2026 Flooding
Over the past week, the coastal community of King Salmon has been navigating recovery from significant and destructive flooding caused by a rare combination of record-breaking King Tides, intense storm surge, and heavy rainfall that occurred during the weekend of January 2nd. Because this event did not trigger a formal state or federal disaster declaration, the automatic mobilization of large-scale government resources is not available. Humboldt COAD has stepped in to provide community advocacy and coordination, working to bridge the gap between residents and the resources necessary for recovery.
The effectiveness of the current response is rooted in the long-term work of the CalPoly Humboldt Sea Level Rise (SLR) Institute. For several years, their team has been embedded in King Salmon to understand the social, political, and economic dimensions of SLR planning and adaptation on Humboldt Bay. The deep trust established during their research projects proved to be a vital asset when the flooding began.
The Institute’s team and community liaisons went above and beyond, pivoting from research to direct support as the floodwaters rose. Their established connections with existing human infrastructure (specifically the Humboldt (Hill) Grange and the South Bay Family Resource Center) have been foundational to the COAD’s ability to reach impacted families and organize recovery efforts quickly. Immediately following the flooding, the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the American Red Cross conducted home visits to address urgent life-safety concerns and identify temporary housing needs. Simultaneously, the Humboldt County Department of Planning and Building began performing damage assessments in tandem with the SLR Institute. Their joint assessment has already identified over 30 homes with significant interior water damage.
Humboldt COAD was on-site and active in King Salmon throughout the week of January 7th to January 11th, working alongside community liaisons and partners to facilitate immediate relief. During this period, efforts focused on distributing cleaning supplies donated by Pay It Forward Humboldt, with the American Red Cross providing additional cleanup kits. Faculty and students from CalPoly Humboldt assisted residents in transferring heavy debris into dumpsters provided by County Public Works. By the end of the day on January 11th, all four dump stations were completely full. The Humboldt (Hill) Grange also maintained a strong presence, continuing its coordination with community liaisons and offering their space as a vital gathering point for residents and service providers. Response activities also prioritized food security: community liaisons have been providing modest daily food donations and prepared meals (some provided by Food Not Bombs), and CalFresh benefit replacement forms (CF303) were made available to those who lost perishables who are CalFresh recipients.
Current COAD efforts are focused on community advocacy, coordination with agencies and organizations, unmet needs assessments, and resource sourcing and distribution. The goal of the COAD is to continue advocating for the community, networking critical resources, providing preparedness support, and participating in long-term resiliency building projects alongside established community partners. If you or your organization has any resources/services related to the needs we have identified far, please contact nick@humboldtcoad.org as soon as possible.
Documented Community Impacts The physical, financial, and emotional toll on the community is high:
Vulnerability: Critical gaps persist for elderly residents and those with disabilities who may be physically unable to clean their homes or who may have struggled to access resources during the peak of the flood.
Economic Strain: Many residents have lost vehicles, major appliances, and irreplaceable items. Because so many washing machines and water heaters were destroyed, residents are forced to travel out of the area for basic sanitation and meals.
Structural and Health Risks: Beyond saturated walls and ruined flooring, there are some concerns regarding potential sewage contamination in the floodwaters, creating a high risk for mold and unsafe living conditions.
Mental Health: The community remains highly anxious about the next King Tide cycle at the end of the month and feels unsure about the longterm outlook of future flooding events.
While the damage reporting is ongoing as residents remove destroyed items, appliances, and damaged structural components of their homes, we have several immediate known needs based on the last couple days in the community:
Gift Card Donations: To help residents offset costs for gas, groceries, and hardware.
Rapid Dry-Down: Providing or sourcing industrial fans and dehumidifiers.
Appliance Replacement: We are continuing to identify the exact quantity and type of appliances that will need to be fully replaced, but this is a known and critical need.
Household Item & Food Replacements: Household item replacement needs identification will be an ongoing and communicated out to appropriate partners. Food replacement priorities may increase as residents clean and repair their kitchens enabling them to store and prepare food safely. This timing may align well with the next distribution event on Sunday the 18th
Community Support & Distribution Day – Sunday, January 18th Humboldt COAD is coordinating a Community Distribution and Support Day on Sunday, January 18th. The goal of this event will be to provide distributions of items the community needs to work towards fully recovering from the flooding as well as providing resources and support to help residents feel more empowered ahead of future tide cycles. It is incredibly important that the community is and feels seen, if your organization has a service, supplies or other resources please consider joining us – contact us for more information on how you can help.
Upcoming Coordination Meeting (Date TBD) Humboldt COAD will soon announce details for a meeting with partners who have been working on the ground to present current data, review the ongoing work of the SLR Institute, and continue future recovery and preparedness efforts. We encourage all member organizations to attend to help us identify how your specific programs can support this community.
Thank you to everyone who has been contributing their time and resources during the response to this event. As we continue to learn more about the impacts to the residents of King Salmon we will share unmet needs and opportunities to collaborate in support of the community.