Winter Storm Swamps Seattle

Utilities Workers Responding to a Flood of Customer Complaints

For Immediate Release: Dec. 3, 2007

Contact: Seattle Public Utilities Customer Service, (206) 684-3000

SEATTLE — Responding to a tide of phone calls from customers with issues relating to today’s intense winter storm, Seattle Public Utilities has implemented its Urban Flood Plan.

As of 9:45 a.m., 22 SPU drainage and wastewater crews are on the job, and more workers have been asked to report to work. The Utilities are processing customer calls as quickly as possible.

Since midnight, about 150 customers have called SPU for assistance with storm-related problems, such as backed up drains and ponding. Trouble spots include:

• A reported landslide in the 2400 block of Westlake Ave. City landslide experts have been dispatched to the site.

• Flooding at Jackson Park Golf Course (1000 NE 135th St.).

• Thornton Creek, in North Seattle, is cresting, and Meadowbrook Pond is overflowing its banks; 35^th Avenue NE is closed from approximately NE 100^th Street to NE 110^th Street. Utilities crews are deploying sandbags in an attempt to contain the flooding. Sandbags are available at the Meadowbrook Community Center parking lot, 10517 35^th Ave. NE. Five homes near the pond are said to have been flooded.

Additional storm information will be reported by SPU as it becomes available.

The Utilities advised that citizens whose property has flooded in the past should begin monitoring potential flooding areas as the bad weather rolls in. Stay out of low-lying areas during periods of intense rain or flooding; and if life or property is at risk, call 9-1-1. Additional tips for preventing localized flooding include:

• Rake a drain. Use a rake to completely remove leaves and debris from storm drains so they will not come back during the next storm. Place the leaves in your yard waste cart to be turned into compost. If you collect more leaves than you can dispose of, call (206) 684-3000 for assistance.

• Adopt a Drain. Volunteer to Adopt-a-Drain and commit to keeping one or more street drains free of leaves and debris. SPU will support volunteers with gloves, bags, brooms, rakes, and safety vests, and can also help with disposing of leaves. Adopting a drain is easy and can be done by visiting www.seattle.gov/util or calling (206) 684-7647.Maintain gutters and downspouts.

• Clean your gutters and the drainage downspouts attached to your roof twice a year. Direct flows from downspouts away from your home, without discharging flows to adjacent properties.

• Maintain drainage systems. Don't put grass clippings, leaves or other debris into the drains, ditches, creeks, culverts, gutters or ravines. (In fact, it's against the law). If you live at the base of a hill or on a cliff, ensure that drainage and retaining walls are in good shape. Preventative planting can also help reduce the chance of a mud slide or flooding.

• Assess your yard. Make sure the ground slopes away from your home. The area within 10 feet of your home should slope away from your house. Call a tree trimmer to inspect your trees and identify any hidden diseases or weak branches that could fall in high winds.

• Inspect your roof. Inspect for leaks or damage to rain gutters that could cause a flat roof to flood.

• Know where your shut offs are. If flooding occurs, you’ll need to know how to shut off electricity, gas and water at main switches and valves.

If there is a blockage below the street surface that is not remedied by removing the obstacle, call Seattle Public Utilities’ Drainage and Wastewater Maintenance, at 206-386-1800.

In addition to providing a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in the Seattle metropolitan area, SPU provides essential sewer, drainage, solid waste and engineering services that safeguard public health, maintain the city’s infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region's environmental resources.