West Seattle Weather Watch: Check those drains!

| Utilities | West Seattle weather

It may sound like one of those “don’t run with scissors” reminders – but in case you just aren’t accustomed to thinking about your drains this early in the year, a couple West Seattleites suggested a reminder here. And not just because of the storm — in fact, it was hours before yesterday’s deluge when we got a note from Paul suggesting some seasonal reminders including clearing your storm drain. Then, shortly after the cloudburst, Nancy from North Delridge sent the photo you see above, with the note:

Noticed the drain in the attached photo during the adopt-a-street (cleanup) Saturday.
I got home from unclogging it just a few minutes before the current deluge.
It’s not too early to start keeping on eye on neighborhood drains.

Seattle Public Utilities offers a few tips here; chief among them, planning a weekly check of drains and downspouts. Last year, SPU even offered supplies for an “adopt-a-drain” program, to encourage people to help with the drains on neighborhood streets; we’ll be checking to see if that’s in the works again this year. And if yesterday wasn’t enough of a reminder about what the weather can do, revisit the December 2007 flooding coverage!

Sue August 26, 2008 (9:05 am)

My husband just did that this weekend, since we’d been away for 2 weeks and had no idea what was up with it. It was a significant mess, and I’m glad he cleaned it up before the water decided to clog and stream down to our basement!

Alvis August 26, 2008 (11:30 am)

The parking lot surface drains at Admiral Safeway (among other commercial sites in West Seattle) have been clogged with dirt for so long that grass has grown across the grates.

toomanyratsinacageakaWS August 26, 2008 (1:43 pm)

Yeah, I love the fact that I keep my drain clear. I notice it daily and keep it from getting clogged by things I am in no way responsible for like construction crud and construction worker crap, people’s litter, and my neighbors constantly shedding pine tree. The city owns drains but I never see them clearing any except reactively once the flooding has already happened.

There is a street like the safeway thing on the east side of Hiawatha that has grates on the west side that are packed with dirt. I would try to notify someone at the city but my previous attempts have been in vain. I can’t get anyone to care no matter how nice or direct I am.

dairmuid August 26, 2008 (2:22 pm)

Yes! I live right on Longfellow Creek, and was just telling my husband this weekend we need to start keeping an eye on the drains… last years flood was *not* heloed by the amount of water pouring down off Delridge! If more drains on that street were clear, the ones on our street might be more capable of handling the overflow.