Camas, WA Water Damage and Flood Cleanup

Few cities in Clark County hold as much water inside their limits as Camas. Lacamas Lake, Round Lake, Fallen Leaf Lake and Lacamas Creek sit on the north side of town, the Washougal River reaches the Columbia here, and roughly 2 of the city's 16 square miles are water. A paper mill has stood beside the river since 1883, and the town grew up around it. Between 2000 and 2020 the population roughly doubled, so Camas now mixes an older mill-town core with a large stock of recent houses.

Our phone line at (888) 317-9980 costs nothing to use and stays open day and night. The Restoration Job is a referral line: we'll connect you with an independent restoration provider that serves Camas and nearby Clark County communities, and you work out the inspection and repairs with that company.

Lacamas Lake, Round Lake and the 1883 Dam

Lacamas Lake is about 2.4 miles long and collects runoff from a drainage area of around 43,000 acres. A dam built in 1883 at the south end of Round Lake raised the water roughly 12 feet to supply the mill, and the dams passed to the City of Camas in 2018. The city lowers the lake each fall to inspect the dam. For most homeowners, the lakes matter less as a flood source than as a sign of how much water moves through this part of the county during the wet months, along creeks, ditches and the slopes that drain toward them.

Homes on lower lots near Lacamas Creek or the lake shore should check FEMA flood maps rather than assume they are clear. Clark County points out that over a quarter of flood insurance claims come from properties outside the 100-year floodplain.

The Washougal River Where It Meets the Columbia

The Washougal River runs about 33 miles out of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and enters the Columbia at Camas. Its largest recorded flow, about 40,400 cubic feet per second, came in December 1977, many times its average. FEMA flood maps for the Washougal River, the Little Washougal River and the Port of Camas-Washougal levee area were updated in January 2018, so a property's flood zone may have changed since the owner bought it.

River water that comes into a house is considered contaminated. Effective flood cleanup generally means cutting out soaked drywall and insulation, removing carpet and pad, and disinfecting before any drying begins. Clark County also advises having an electrician inspect wiring that was underwater and throwing out food the water touched.

Hillside Homes, Runoff and Newer Construction

Prune Hill is an extinct volcanic vent, part of the Boring Lava Field, and parts of Camas sit on that hill and other sloping ground above the river. On sloped lots, the problems are rarely about rising rivers. Instead, look for:

• Runoff from uphill yards or driveways collecting against a foundation or a daylight basement wall.
• Clogged gutters and downspouts emptying beside the house during long rains.
• Supply lines, water heaters, dishwashers and ice makers failing in the many homes built since 2000.
• Storm drains blocked by fall leaves, which Clark County names as a common cause of street flooding.

Newer homes are not immune to slow leaks. A pinhole in a PEX fitting or a weeping shower valve can soak a wall cavity for weeks before a stain appears.

Drying a Camas House Through the Rainy Months

Clark County's rain falls mostly from fall into spring, and outdoor air during that stretch is cool and damp. Opening windows does little to dry a house in January. A restoration crew will usually close the space, run dehumidifiers and air movers, and take moisture readings in subfloors, framing and drywall until they reach normal levels. Structural drying can take several days, longer for hardwood or a saturated crawl space.

Mold is the main risk of drying too slowly. Damp materials can begin to grow mold within a couple of days, so act quickly, keep the heat on, and ask the provider to check hidden areas such as the back of cabinets, under stairs and along exterior walls in finished basements.

Questions to Ask Before Work Starts

Before anything is torn out, ask the provider to explain what will be removed and why, how they will document moisture readings for your insurer, and whether original wood floors or trim in an older home can be saved. If the damage came from outside water, such as a flooded yard or the river, ask your agent whether you carry flood coverage, since standard homeowners policies generally exclude it. Residents of Washougal next door face many of the same river and slope issues.