West Seattle Weather Watch: Rainy-night updates

Starting a new post for any developments overnight – in comments after our previous post, AlkiRD just reported that West Marginal Way has a foot of floodwater near Highland Park Way (map); Flipjack called attention to the fact the National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for areas including Seattle metro; and Karen says Longfellow Creek is running high. We just went over to check on the Longfellow section that flooded during the December 2007 rainfest (near Allstar) — no obvious trouble yet. 10:59 PM UPDATE: Mac also just e-mailed about the West Marginal water – he says it’s up to the curb and drivers are trying to get through but shouldn’t, as you’ll see in the text of tonight’s flood warning:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN THE FOLLOWING WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES… KITSAP COUNTY… WESTERN KING COUNTY… SOUTHWESTERN SNOHOMISH COUNTY…

* UNTIL 830 AM PST THURSDAY.

* AT 834 PM PST RADAT AND OBSERVATIONS SHOW PRECIPITATION FALLING AT NEARLY ONE HALF INCH PER HOUR. HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT 4 AM EARLY THURSDAY BEFORE DECREASING TO SHOWERS.

FLOODING IS EXPECTED IN NORMALLY LOW AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS…POORLY DRAINED UNDERPASSES…AND ALONG SMALL STREAMS.

A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE ELEVATED LEVELS ON SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS…AND PONDING OF WATER IN URBAN AREAS… HIGHWAYS…STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS WELL AS OTHER POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

More as we get it. Let us know if there’s trouble where you are – editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!

Scott B. January 8, 2009 (1:42 am)

I drove down Highland Park Way SW at approx. 10:00pm on Thursday, January 07. There wae a “storm drain” (City of Seattle nomenclature) more than halfway down the hill that was partially blocked, so rainwater bypassed the catch basin grate to run down the steep hill. At the intersection with West Marginal Way SW, the resulting puddle/pond stretched across both lanes. The depth at the curb was probably four inches.

I didn’t think it would be safe for me to park my vehicle in the lane in order to clear the catch basin grate, so I decided to phone a report to the City after returning home from my trip to Arby’s to buy two toasted subs for five dollars. :)

On my return trip home to Highland Park, I saw a City pickup with appropriate signage on the driver’s door (stormwater 24-hour response, or some such… I don’t remember the specifics) idling at the SW corner of the intersection of 9 SW & SW Henderson in front of the church.

I parked my vehicle, donned my raingear, then told the City employee the specifics. He gestured toward a laptop computer screen and said (English was obviously not his first language) that he had so many calls that unless the water was two feet deep, it would be OK.

As I approached his vehicle, I saw him take a swill from a large bottle… dunno what the liquid was. I assume he was on break or was checking his laptop for the next high priority call.

I have worked for government agencies in the past and I have also worked as an employee of private contractors whose work is inspected by employees of government agencies.

There are a lot of tradeoffs regarding working for a government agency or working for a private contractor. One tradeoff is that government agency employees in the sectors with which I am familiar receive less than two-thirds the hourly compensation that private sector employees receive, but they have steady work.

I am willing to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.

I want taxpayers to know that more inspectors are needed to ensure that private contractors are delivering work as contracted.

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