West Seattle, Washington
06 Saturday
4:06 PM: Thanks to Dörte for the tip. The Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map confirms a break at 34th/Juneau, with more than 30 customers affected. SPU hopes to have it fixed within a few hours. This is just a block north of an 8-inch pipe break one week ago.
5:33 PM: This one, like the one last week, was fixed so fast, crews were gone before we got there to check it out.
Seattle Public Utilities is still catching up from weather-affected collections missed last week, and has just acknowledged the missed-recycling situation, which some WSB commenters brought up:
Recycling may have been missed for Wednesday customers this week.
Please report it as a missed collection by calling it in to customer service line as we are aware online reporting is having issues.
As a reminder to all, if your collections were missed, please report it!
You can do that online here.
(Last Wednesday morning’s snow – photo by Janelle Otterholt)
With delays and cancellations in Seattle Public Utilities customers’ solid-waste-pickup service last week, SPU published this reminder today:
We aren’t quite out of the woods yet with the winter weather this week, so here are a few reminders:
Wednesday customers missed last week may set out twice the amount of garbage, recycling, and compost this week at no extra charge.
Any other customers missed last week should report a missed collection as usual.
As winter weather continues, please be sure to regularly check back in on the At Your Service blog for the latest updates. If your garbage collection was missed and there were no collection delays, please use the Utilities Services website to report a missed collection or call our customer service line 206-684-3000.
Though the update didn’t specifically mention Tuesday customers, SPU spokesperson Brad Wong told WSB last Friday that anyone missed on February 4th could call this morning for a special pickup.
Seattle Public Utilities sent us this notice, which is being circulated in the neighborhood but is likely of wider interest:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is upgrading the water pump station in your neighborhood. The SW Spokane St Pump Station, constructed in 1928, supplies drinking water and fire protection services to parts of West Seattle. Due to its age, this critical facility is at risk of failure during an earthquake, and many of its systems need immediate repair or replacement.
Adjacent to the pump station, SPU will be conducting construction in the roadway for utility installation associated with the project. Travelers can expect periodic full and partial road closures for up to two months beginning in February 2025. During this period, the roadway may be open to traffic with or without construction flaggers depending on the construction schedule. Please plan additional time for travel and follow the signed detour route during full road closures. Periodic full and partial road closures are necessary for safe and timely completion of the work. This work ensures SPU can continue to provide reliable and safe drinking water and fire protection services to our customers.
LOCATION
This work will be done along SW Spokane St and 33rd Ave SW, adjacent to the pump station. Please see the map for the work location and detour route.SCHEDULE
Expect approximately two months of roadway impacts beginning as early as February 3. During the work period, SW Spokane St. may be closed or restricted. During road closures, please follow signed detours. Construction crews are expected to work Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5 pm. However, the road may remain closed for nights and weekends depending on the work schedule. Please note that the start date, duration, and working hours are subject to change due to permitting, weather, crew availability, and other factors.
You can find a bit more about the pump-station project in this SPU document.
7:02 PM: Thanks for the tip about a water outage in High Point. The Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map confirms SPU is dealing with a water break at 34th/Raymond, affecting more than 30 customers; it was reported less than an hour ago. This comes as temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s tonight, so be extra-careful in that area in the morning!
9:04 PM: Fixed fast. We went through the area around 8:30 pm and the crew was already gone; the outage map says service was restored by 7:40.
ADDED: Brad Wong from SPU tells WSB, “It was an 8-inch distribution pipe. The cause is unknown.”
Here’s the official announcement of today’s cancellation, plus delays for the rest of the week, from Seattle Public Utilities:
Due to winter weather conditions, there will be no residential garbage, recycling, or food/yard waste pickup in Seattle today, Wednesday, February 5, 2025. SPU’s North and South transfer stations will open at 10 a.m. today.
Weather and road conditions permitting, garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste service will resume Thursday, February 6, on a revised schedule — with customers scheduled for pickup today, Wednesday, February 5, collected tomorrow. All remaining residential services will be delayed one day this week. For example, if your regular collection day is Friday, your garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste will be collected on Saturday this week. Customers should be sure to have their containers out by 7 a.m. to ensure collection.
If your materials are not picked up by the end of the following day, please put them out on your next regularly scheduled pickup day. Customers missed this week will be allowed to set out twice their normal amount of garbage, recycling, and yard waste at no additional charge, on their next scheduled collection day.
(WSB photo)
That sighting of brown water flushing from a hydrant is what tipped us to a water outage in Gatewood. We were out walking when we spotted a Seattle Public Utilities worker flushing the hydrant at 39th/Rose [map]; he told us they were clearing the water from a “branch” before restoring service following a break further east on Rose. The SPU water-trouble map says 40+ homes were affected by the break centered near 35th/Rose; we walked past the hydrant again about half an hour after taking the top photo, and the water was running clear.
8:39 PM: Thanks for the tip and photo! A reader reports a water break on 35th SW just north of SW 108th has left “all of 35th covered in water down the hill.” A Seattle Public Utilities crew has arrived, they report (though the break is not yet on the SPU water-trouble map). Reminder that breaks may stir up sediment (rust) in nearby lines, so if you’re in the area you might notice “brown water” – call SPU at 206-386-1800 if you do, to be sure they’re aware that’s happened.
8:54 PM: Update from our tipster: “Looks like they may have isolated it, and turned off the water for that location. SPU has left. Though 35th is covered in water from 108th to around 112th. Could get icy overnight.”
12:56 PM TUESDAY: We followed up with SPU spokesperson Brad Wong, who tells WSB, “The SPU crew determined it was a small water main break and made repairs. What caused the main to break remains unknown.”
10:51 AM: Thanks for the tips. A power outage has taken out more than 3,200 customers, mostly in northeast West Seattle, though also stretching southward toward High Point. Updates to come.
10:59 AM: No word yet on the cause of this. If you’re hearing sirens/seeing fire trucks, note that outages sometimes trigger automatic fire alarms, and that’s happened in at least two places so far. Note that much if not all of the Admiral business district is in the outage zone – also some signalized intersections (which become all-way stops when the signal’s dark).
11:42 AM: The southernmost stretch of the outage has been restored – so it’s down to just under 2,000 customers. Here’s the updated outage map:
12:35 PM: No change since then, and we’re still awaiting SCL’s response on the cause. Meantime, WSB’s Aspen Anderson is checking on the Admiral District and confirms commenter report that Metropolitan Market is closed:
Admiral Starbucks is among the other businesses without power. Traffic signals too.
(WSB photos)
12:47 PM: Also out, Aspen reports, is the Admiral Bartell Drugs. And as mentioned in comments, West Seattle (Admiral) Library continues using paper slips like this to check people out:
However, the libary computers are not working, nor other equipment. But they say they lose power once a year so they have this system in place — but they are trying to stay open as long as possible. … Mud Bay is open and checking people out with a handheld credit-card device.
12:54 PM: Another 300 customers just got power back. … That includes Admiral Safeway, where, Aspen report, the “produce/cold drink sections closed right before the power went back on — they are giving produce a minute to come back to temperature.”
1:04 PM: Now all are back on; we’ve confirmed the Admiral District is back. Aspen says Metropolitan Market tells her they’ll stay closed an hour or so more, to be sure temperatures are all in “safe zones.”
ADDED MONDAY EVENING: Regarding the cause, an SCL spokesperson tells WSB, “It was not related to the planned outage in the adjacent area. Our systems operations center said that there was a mainstem cable on the feeder that failed.” (We’ve requested a bit more explanation, such as where this cable is/was.)
ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: To that question, SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang responded, “The main issue occurred in the vicinity of SW Admiral Wy and SW City View St.”
10:22 AM: Seattle Fire is responding to a gas leak in the 4100 block of 38th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.
10:28 AM: The response has been downsized – most units have been dismissed.
(WSB photo)
10:35 AM: A WSB team member at the scene says Puget Sound Energy has arrived.
11 AM: Our team member confirms all SFD crews have left.
11:41 AM: Reviewing audio from the response, this originally was reported as a leak inside a home, with a strong smell of natural gas in the basement, but firefighters weren’t able to confirm a leak, and left as PSE investigated further.
8:01 AM: Thanks for the tip. 100+ homes are out in south Arbor Heights/Seola Beach, after a loud explosion-type sound around 7:20. As noted in the traffic/weather roundup, the wind alert is now extended to 1 pm.
11:54 AM: Still out.
1:05 PM: The SCL map now attributes the outage to “tree/vegetation.” Still the only outage of note in West Seattle, and the number of people affected by outages today throughout SCL’s entire service area has remained in triple digits.
Multiple readers have texted with the news that Xfinity is out in North Admiral for between 100 and 500 customers, citing “network damage.” The company’s hoping to have it back on by late morning, but with, for example, the Seahawks vs. Vikings game coming up at 1 pm, you might want to have a backup viewing plan.
11:29 AM: Per comment and text, service is back.
9:36 AM: Thanks to Laurel at Ounces in North Delridge for the photo – that tree down along the Delridge entrance to the eastbound West Seattle Bridge is one of multiple trees brought down by this morning’s gusty winds. We’ve had a report from Admiral Way’s south hill, too. The National Weather Service has a Wind Advisory alert in effect for our area until 4 pm today, expecting “south winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.” No new West Seattle outages mapped by City Light so far but that last group of 146 from Thursday night’s outage is still without electricity. Scott sent this photo of crews working in the area:
If you experience or see weather-related trouble, please call or text our hotline, 206-293-6302 (once you’re sure the appropriate authorities know – if a tree or other debris is blocking a street or sidewalk, for example, SDOT’s after-hours number is 206-386-1218) – thank you!
9:49 AM: And now, a big power outage. Almost 7,000 customers; map screenshot added above. Thanks for the texts/tips. This time some signalized intersections such as 35th/Avalon and 35th/Fauntleroy are involved – remember dark signals = 4-way stops. Parts of Alki and Genesee that got hit in Thursday’s outage are out again, as is a stretch of Delridge, among other mapped spots that are out. We don’t know the epicenter of this one yet – let us know if you see City Light crews.
10:19 AM: If you look at the outage map, this seems to have spared the business districts, which have a variety of events today, but please let us know if you encounter any changes at any place on today’s (big) list. Meantime, while City Light’s map projects afternoon restoration, PLEASE REMEMBER that their estimates are just wild guesses at this point, COULD be much sooner, COULD be much later. Among other things, don’t open your fridge/freezer – what’s in it/them will last longer.
10:24 AM: And in fact, some are reporting their power is back. Avalon area, for starters. The map may not catch up for a bit. … Map now shows almost everyone restored from this outage (but not that 146-customer South Alki pocket from Thursday night).
10:33 AM: Thanks to everyone who’s sent rainbow photos, in the meantime – sightings from Alki to Fauntleroy. The one above this line is from John-Michael Bennett III. (Added) Below is a photo texted from Fauntleroy, where the ferries have been battling those south winds:
10:48 AM: Now the rain’s moved back in, at least here in Upper Fauntleroy. We’re also still hearing dispatches for various trouble spots – a tree down on 34th in Sunrise Heights, wires down on 51st in Brace Point.
11:56 AM: Though the power’s back, a reader says it’s left the Junction post office cash-only.
4:22 PM: Looking at City Light’s map, looks like the South Alki 146 finally got their power back sometime this afternoon, before hitting 48 unpowered hours.
8:14 PM: Thanks for all the tips. Seattle City Light‘s outage map confirms an outage affecting almost 5,000 customers in mostly northwest West Seattle. 911 log shows a “transformer fire” in the 4100 block of Beach Drive SW.
8:21 PM: Emergency-radio traffic suggests the problem is on a “private dead-end street” and that City Light has a crew on the way.
8:33 PM: To recap some important outage-related info – for one, the “estimated restoration time” is just a guess, could be lots earlier or lots later. In case of the latter, don’t open the refrigerator or freezer – your food will last longer.
8:51 PM: Power’s back on for many, if not all. (The City Light map hasn’t caught up yet so we won’t know for a bit if it’s entirely resolved.)
8:55 PM: First map update says it’s down to 3,100 out.
9:39 PM: Above, for the record, is the current map of who’s out. And below, WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli‘s photos of the tree trouble that’s to blame – it’s near Aikins/Boyd in South Alki:
10:10 PM: Christopher spoke to City Light workers at the scene who told him those who are still out may remain out into Friday, as it is a complicated repair, with three poles affected, and tricky access on the steep site. Meantime, we just got photos from the Aikins side of the downed tree (thanks, Evie!) – in the first photo there’s a crushed car (no one hurt):
10:45 PM: According to commenters, more just got power back. Now 1,749 out, per SCL map.
12:24 AM: Those 1,749 are still out, per SCL map.
6 AM: All but 160 are reconnected.
6:03 PM: After 22 hours, 146 people are still out.
12:56 PM: Liza reports brown water in The Junction. No incidents on the water-trouble map, so it might be flushing. If it happens to you, always be sure to report it to Seattle Public Utilities‘ 24-hour hotline, 206-386-1800.
1:15 PM: Liza says SPU tells her it was indeed SFD line-flushing.
Just received by text:
Very brown water 6000 block of 44th Ave. Southwest.
Nothing on the Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map; they have just reported it to SPU at 206-386-1800 (which you ALWAYS should do if your water is discolored), and report that the utility promised a call back.
Our photo shows work – with traffic flagging – continuing today on the Puget Sound Energy gas-pipeline project on the south end of Beach Drive SW. A commenter recently asked for a progress report, so we asked PSE after the holiday weekend. A spokesperson tells WSB, “Construction on the upgraded natural gas system will be finished mid-January 2025.” The commenter also wondered about restoration on the patched and plated cuts in the road; here’s what PSE tells us about that: “Due to weather, the final restoration will happen in April 2025. Once done, there will be updated ADA ramps, restriping of the fog and yellow centerline and road improvements, along with the updated natural-gas system.” Work started more than half a year ago, two years later than originally planned because of what PSE attributed to permitting delays. The work (shown in section-by-section detail here) was originally projected to be done by now.
Saturday morning, dozens of homes lost power for hours near Fairmount Playfield. Today we followed up with Seattle City Light to see what caused the outage. SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang replied, “A raccoon.” (Wildlife-related outages are not unusual, but more often it’s a bird on the wire than a mammal.)
5:50 AM: Thanks for the texted tip. Seattle City Light is investigating an outage affecting more than 30 homes in the Fairmount Park area. Our texter says a loud boom was heard right before the power went out near 38th/Hudson.
9:03 AM: Power’s been restored.
10:38 AM: … but not for everyone, per commenters and the SCL map.
Announced today by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, as their million-gallon sewer-overflow tank project continues taking shape:
Utility investigation work near First Avenue South bridge beginning December 2
King County Wastewater Treatment Division is planning to build a wastewater and stormwater storage tank near the First Avenue South Bridge to reduce combined sewer overflows into the Duwamish River, with construction expected to begin in summer 2025. Starting as early as (next Monday) December 2, 2024, crews will spend up to three days potholing, or digging small holes, near the future storage tank site in preparation for upcoming construction. This work will help King County to better understand the locations and condition of existing utility lines.
What you can expect
-Work hours 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for up to three days, starting as early as Monday, December 2. Work on Highland Park Way SW may happen at night to avoid disrupting traffic.
-Temporary lane closures with flaggers on site to assist vehicle and pedestrian movement.
-One drill rig and up to four service vehicles on site.
-Noise and slight vibrations during work hours, including engine noise and periodic hammering.
-Occasional truck traffic accessing the site during work hours.Please watch for equipment and signs in the area, travel slowly to stay safe and follow direction from flaggers.
The overflow tank has been in planning for years – here’s some of our past coverage.
(WSB photo)
Remember the giant tree that fell across Walnut Avenue in South Admiral during Tuesday’s windstorm? We believe it’s the biggest one that came down; the photo above is all we saw left of it this afternoon. Here’s what it looked like right after the storm:
A neighbor told us work to remove it was finally under way last night, and she believed the nearby residents who were without power for days had been restored too. The Seattle City Light map is finally without West Seattle outages and shows fewer than 800 customers still out systemwide.
6:01 AM: It’s Wednesday, November 20, and thousands remain out of power after last night’s windstorm (here’s our Tuesday night coverage).
POWER UPDATES (updated 9:10 am)
The major north West Seattle outage has been resolved as of less than an hour ago – from Admiral to Alki and beyond – and the major east West Seattle outage (Riverview south to the city limit and beyond) has been reduced.
City Light‘s outage map, after glitches last night, appears to be functioning in real time again. (Please let us know via comments or text – 206-293-6302 – if you get your power back, as SCL does not keep a public-facing record of that; the utility says it’s brought back tens of thousands around its service area.) Remember that if you encounter a traffic signal that’s dark or flashing, it’s an all-way stop. (16th/Holden is among them) … Some power-out areas in north WS are NOT showing on the map, we’re told, such as 51st/Orleans. … 9:10 am, texter says they just got power back in Highland Park/Riverview … 10:20 am, commenters say power in the Westwood area is back.
WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET TIMES
Cloudy with showers, breezy but not windy, high in the low 50s. Today’s sunrise will be at 7:23 am, while sunset will be at 4:27 pm.
SCHOOLS (updated 6:46 am)
-Sanislo Elementary closed (district says that’s the only WS school it’s closing today)
-No school at Community School of West Seattle today, per text
-YMCA Early Learning in Westwood is closed per commenter
-Highline Public Schools closed
-Any others? Let us know!
TRANSIT – No major changes reported in our area this morning.
Water Taxi today – Regular service.
Washington State Ferries today – 2-boat service on the Triangle Route with M/V Sealth as the “ghost boat.” Check here for last-minute changes.
Metro buses today – Regular schedule but with trip cancellations.
Sound Transit today – Link light rail is starting service at 7 am, two hours late than usual.
SPOTLIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS – Some are out this morning, but here’s the ones that were working as of 6 am:
High Bridge – Here’s the main camera, followed by the Fauntleroy-end camera. Bridge note: As of 6 am, a “large amount of standing water” was reported on the eastbound bridge at or near the ramp to 99:
Spokane Street Viaduct – This view usually looks westward, with eastbound lanes at left and westbound lanes at right:
Low Bridge – Looking west:
1st Avenue South Bridge:
Delridge cameras: Besides the one below (Delridge/Genesee), cameras are also at Delridge/Juneau, Delridge/Henderson, Delridge/Oregon, and video-only (so you have to go to the map), Delridge/Holden and Delridge/Thistle.
MORE TRAFFIC CAMS: All functioning traffic cams citywide are here; West Seattle and vicinity-relevant cameras are on this WSB page.
If you see a problem on the bridges/streets/paths/water, please text or call our hotline (when you can do that safely, and after you’ve reported to authorities if they’re not already on scene) – 206-293-6302. Thank you!
(QUICK LINKS: National Weather Service alerts page … Seattle City Light outage map)
5:37 PM: Lights flickered up here, twice, a few minutes ago – checked the Seattle City Light outage map and saw the first outage of note, 55 homes on Genesee Hill:
SCL says this started about 10 minutes ago. Weather updates to come; if you have power trouble, tree trouble, etc., text us at 206-293-6302.
6:03 PM: Above is a texted photo of the tree that one reader suspects is to blame for the Genesee Hill outage. Meantime, emergency responders are being sent to a report of a tree into a house in the 8100 block of 16th SW. And we’ve flickered again, which is likely to mean another outage somewhere.
6:26 PM: A reader reports power out at 17th/Dawson – so far per the map, it does not appear to be a major outage. … 10 minutes later, 52nd/Andover just reported an “explosion” and outage, though there’s still nothing mapped in West Seattle that’s bigger than the Genesee Hill outage.
6:48 PM: Highland Park/Riverview readers report power’s out, and more of Puget Ridge. Not mapped yet, though…. The City Light map hasn’t changed numbers in a while so we’re beginning to wonder if it’s broken. Keep letting us know where outages are. (You can do that via commenting below, too.) … Texters also report power out at:
-9th/Thistle (Highland Park)
-Tree down on SW Rose at 35th, “lying on a pole/likely a power line”
7:19 PM: Also getting outage reports from Westwood and South Delridge (including 17th/Barton). White Center as well – more in comments. …. City Light has finally acknowledged onscreen that the outage map is broken. If you’re not within earshot, the wind continues to gust, at least as we’re hearing it here in Upper Fauntleroy. … Just got word of a downed wire at 35th/110th in Arbor Heights, as well as a tree blocking northbound Highway 509. … If you have to go out, watch for tree debris in roads and on sidewalks, like this, texted from near 39th/Kenyon:
7:48 PM: Texter says the Westwood-area outage has affected many stores at Westwood Village, so they’re closed – they mentioned QFC, Marshall’s, Starbucks, Big Five, Rite Aid. Target, they say, still has power. … The SCL map seems to be adding outage numbers a handful at a time. It’s now past 10,300, but that’s likely still a FRACTION of how many are out. In West Seattle, we’ve heard primarily from east of 35th, not surprising since these winds are coming out of the southeast. (Some exceptions though, like the Genesee Hill outage, and we’re also hearing from a few streets west of there, 5300 block of SW Manning and Orleans as well, per one texter.)
8:05 PM: City Light also acknowledges that its outage-reporting phone line is broken, so don’t bother calling it for a while either. … Per commenters, the 1st Avenue South Bridge is broken. (Don’t drive unless it’s an emergency, anyway!)… WSDOT says it’s stuck in the “up” position.
8:20 PM: Looks like SCL’s map has caught up – now showing more than 71,000 out around its service area. (The outage at the center of the screenshot above is the biggest one in West Seattle that hadn’t shown on the map until now.) … The photo below was just texted, “Entire tree down on 21st Ave SW and Barton, missed our car by inches!”
8:51 PM: Hard to be absolutely certain from the live camera but the 1st Avenue South Bridge appears to be open to traffic again. SCL’s total number of mapped customers out, service-area-wide (they serve areas outside the city limits too), is up to 76,000+. … A few reminders: Intersections with flashing or dark signals are all-way stops … If your power is out, DON’T OPEN YOUR REFRIGERATOR OR FREEZER — what you have in there will last longer if you don’t … Whatever restoration estimate City Light shows for your outage, ignore it – it’s just a guess; could be sooner, could be later – the estimates are not based on an actual eyes-on assessment of the situation.
9:29 PM: Though the map hasn’t caught up yet, we’re hearing from people in northwest West Seattle who just lost power – Alki, north and south and west of The Junction, to name a few. … SFD/SPD are dispatching to a tree down on wires in the 4600 block of SW Holgate. Still not mapped but from all the texts, this one sounds pretty widespread. … North Admiral too. (See comments for some specific locations.)
10:03 PM: The outage stretches east of High Point too – just got a text from someone on “Snake Hill” (29th-31st, Brandon-Findlay).
10:17 PM: Aaron on Walnut Avenue tells us they’ve just had a big tree go down, taking out THREE power poles and their lines. …. Police were just dispatched to another tree at 47th/Charlestown … City Light finally just acknowledged their map has stalled again … SEA airport’s weather station recorded a 55 mph wind gust earlier tonight …
10:54 PM: City Light warns, “Crews will work through the night. It’s going to take time to restore power. Crews are first dispatched to areas that pose an immediate safety threat.” … The map’s catching up again – showing 113,000+ out service-area-wide – but the north West Seattle outage (Alki to beyond The Junction) still isn’t showing, so there’s still more to add …
11:39 PM: SCL map finally shows the extent of the north West Seattle outage, more than 8,300 homes and businesses.
The map is still a little wacky, as the green markers are supposed to signify “planned outages” and there’s no way those were happening in multiple locations tonight. But the pink shading is likely a fairly accurate representation of who’s out. We count at least 13,000 West Seattle customers who’ve lost power tonight.
12:39 AM: Some texted reports of power restored, including Charlestown Hill and north and south of The Junction.
5:22 AM: Thousands got their power back in the early morning hours – some just moments ago – but thousands more remain out. The weather has calmed as expected. We’re working on the morning traffic update.
| Comments Off on UPDATE: Water break in High Point