SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. - County officials are warning thousands of residents in low-lying areas to start preparing now for the possibility of floods.

And Mark Craven is one who is taking the warnings seriously.

He remembers all of the previous floods, going back years. Each one has its own mark on the side of his barn to show how high the water got.

"Well, the '90 flood was the worst one," he says. "We had the 1975 flood, the '90, '95 and '96."

There's also a mark from just last winter.

"Yeah, it's pretty deep," he says.

That's why Snohomish County emergency officials want people to start preparing now. Flooding is the most costly and damaging natural hazard in the county.

Snohomish County has more than 200 square miles of floodplain area with more than 8,600 homes at risk.

Craven runs Craven Farms in Snohomish, which attracts families and kids from far and wide who come to hunt for the perfect pumpkin.

The farm has been family-run since the 1930s, and the Cravens have become accustomed to the rush and panic of flood season to protect each other and the family business.

"It's stressful playing a game whether to take the chance of being cautious or not," Mark Craven says. "Because once you move everything up it's a lot of work to get it all back down."

Steve Thomsen, Snohomish County's public works director, says, "I would encourage property owners to pay attention if there are any local drains, ditches, culverts that are plugged. Grab a shovel, clear it out, help out - we can't be everywhere all the time."

Emergency officials say homeowners should map out a safe route from their neighborhood, keep an emergency kit handy
- and most important, don't try to drive through closed roads.

The Cravens watch out for their own, the county hopes everyone else will do the same.