TRAFFIC & WEATHER: Wet, windy Friday updates

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:43 AM: The weather didn’t cause much trouble overnight (here are our notes). But the rain has resumed and it’s going to be a messy commute. First evidence, Meg just tweeted: “The onramp to the bridge from Avalon (EB) is FULL of water. Bus had to slow way down. Yikes!”

As we’ve been mentioning all week, no classes today for Seattle Public Schools – a long-planned staff-development day – so that will lessen traffic somewhat.

7:43 AM: The only problems we keep hearing about: Water, water, water. We’ll be heading out shortly now that there’s some daylight.

8:30 AM: So far, we’ve been down Fauntleroy, Avalon, Harbor, Alki. Not much traffic, and a break in the rain seems to have helped with the drainage. It just started up again, though, and there’s no shortage of storminess to the west:

Looking NW from Duwamish Head. pic.twitter.com/ErcanfkSyH

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 14, 2016

9:06 AM: While out, we also looked into the muddy runoff coming downhill on Manning toward the Admiral/Avalon/etc. intersection. It’s from the site recently cleared for the 14-house 3601 Fauntleroy Avenue subdivision:

Seattle Public Utilities was on site when we went by. Drainage was one of the concerns neighbors of this site raised in an appeal that was settled before going to a hearing.

Dustin October 14, 2016 (7:56 am)

Massive gusts just started slamming Gatewood area at Thistle and 39th. Stronger than anything last night. Glad I have the option to come into work a little later today. Gusts over WS Bridge must be crazy. Stay safe out there folks!

WSB October 14, 2016 (7:58 am)

That’s exactly what I just said to @MetPatrick22, our unofficial meteorological consultant, on Twitter. He says it’s “mostly due to the outflow from the embedded cells moving inland.” Also he warns that some of the lightning other areas have seen is just south of us … so that’s a possibility too.

Dustin October 14, 2016 (8:02 am)

So you’re saying I shouldn’t plan on cleaning my gutters today…? ;)

iggy October 14, 2016 (8:12 am)

I can see this is going to be one of those storms where impacts vary block to block. We’re at Morgan Junction, not that far from 39th and Thistle, and, though raining, wind is relatively calm. We used to live above Seola in Arbor Heights, and the wind would slam us coming in over the water. Yet, friends a few blocks “inland” would feel nothing.

JayDee October 14, 2016 (8:52 am)

I reported the muddy creek of water pouring down Admiral @7:10 AM to SPU. That much mud this early in the year ain’t right. SPU reported back that a construction site on the hill above Admiral has improper erosion controls and they are trying to track down the contractor.

JanS October 14, 2016 (4:04 pm)

thank you, JayDee…I think fines are in order…tired of contractors not doing everything they can to mitigate…

and we wonder why it was a concern of neighbors in the beginning..sigh…

JayDee October 14, 2016 (9:01 am)

Probably this construction site — The address is a match:

<https://westseattleblog.com/2016/09/west-seattle-development-site-clearing-starts-at-14-house-3601-fauntleroy-avenue-project/>

WSB October 14, 2016 (9:04 am)

Yes, we just confirmed that by going up to look & I’m adding a photo for posterity. SPU is on site.

Carole October 14, 2016 (11:02 am)

Wonder what this weather will do to the hillside on 35th where the trees were decimated.

WSB October 14, 2016 (11:05 am)

I mentioned that somewhere but … those areas are largely overgrown, per our recent followup – blackberries, suckers from the cut trees, etc. … unlike the construction site mentioned above, which is just bare ground currently. We drove the length of Admiral, Alki to the bridge, and the only runoff of note was the construction-site runoff, which we followed all the way uphill to verify.

John October 14, 2016 (11:07 am)

Temporary erosion control is required during construction. The contractor will be held responsible to address the muddy run-off this storm event is producing.

–

Drainage concerns by the anti housing people is a different issue. Drainage is the collection and proper disposal of all water run-off from the hard surfaces and roofs. Drainage infrastructure is what the development constructs.

Formerly homes hard lined their storm water directly into their sanitary sewer making it a combined sewer. During storm events all of the existing run-off overwhelms the sanitary sewer capacity with overflows being directly discharged into Puget Sound. Nearly all existing homes, like mine, contribute to the problem.

New construction is now required to address the drainage with green techniques like the small dirt filled and planted a concrete catch basins that allow storm water to drain into the soil. If soil conditions do not allow infiltration there are other requirements to collect the storm water in huge underground tanks that buffer the flow by releasing water through a small outlet.

Either way, the drainage of the completed project will be far more responsible and efective to the drainage from our existing housing most of us assume is good.

WSB October 14, 2016 (11:19 am)

And I should mention here (we’ll have a separate blurb if and when time allows) that the last RainWise contractor fair of the year is STILL for tomorrow at Highland Park Improvement Club – a county rep just e-mailed us to reiterate that. Info in our calendar: https://westseattleblog.com/event/rainwise-contractor-fair-and-tree-giveaway/?instance_id=559349
chemist October 14, 2016 (12:07 pm)

3601 Fauntleroy Ave SW is close enough to steep slopes and known slide areas that infiltration will probably not be allowed (presuming the 500 ft condition written about in this guide about when to disconnect downspouts for rain barrels, etc is not some random number).

There are a lot of smaller areas of steep slopes within 500 ft of homes.

http://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/Maps/dpdgis.aspx
- John October 14, 2016 (12:43 pm)
  
  chemist is likely correct. Many homes in our city are located where infiltration is not possible. The 500 foot is a general rule.
  
  But building in Critical Areas requires far more than checking the map.
  
  A special survey with all trees, features and two foot topographic mapping is a first step to accurately determine the slope.
  
  Next is core sampling where a crew drills into the hillside collecting ‘core samples’ of the soil at different depths. These dirt samples are collected analyzed and stored by a licensed Geotechnical Engineer who then writes a report and submits it to the city for DCI’s Drainage Dept for review.
  
  Separately, a Civil Engineer works with the proposed design to assess how much storm water will be generated and how to dispose of it. If the soil is not receptive of infiltration, detention systems may be required.

22blades October 14, 2016 (12:20 pm)

The muddy runoff is going down Admiral & down to the lower level of Spokane St. Just got a nice shower of mud on my car.

bolo October 14, 2016 (4:28 pm)

This heavy rain + wind weekend will be the the first real test for the new Murray CSO upgrade project.

Chemist October 14, 2016 (7:01 pm)

Not quite yet.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Construction/Seattle/MurrayCSOStorage.aspx

“The contractor is conducting system testing for the underground storage tank. King County expects the tank to be operating by mid- to late-fall.”

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