City of Seattle Ed Murray, Mayor

NEWS ADVISORY

SUBJECT: City of Seattle Responds to Heavy Rains

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

12/3/2007 11:40:00 AM

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

City of Seattle Responds to Heavy Rains

SEATTLE - City of Seattle crews are responding to neighborhood flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains. The city has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and hundreds of Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, Seattle Department of Transportation, Department of Planning and Development, Seattle Fire Department and Police crews are responding to rain-related incidents.

The City of Seattle reminds citizens to call the following numbers during flooding emergencies:

(206) 684-3000 to report non-life threatening problems with power, water, sewer or drainage;

(206) 386-1800 if there is a blockage below the street surface that is not remedied by removing the obstacle;

911 if life or property is at risk.

As of 11:30 a.m., crews are responding to several storm-related incidents, including:

A landslide in the 2400 block of Westlake Avenue has closed Westlake Avenue at the 2000 block, with traffic being rerouted to Dexter Avenue North. Westlake is expected to be closed for the next several hours.





Golden Gardens NW at View Avenue NW is closed to due to a washed-out roadway. Trails in Golden Gardens Park are closed due to flooding.





35th Avenue NE is closed from approximately NE 100th Street to NE 110th Street due to water on the road. Nathan Hale High School is closed for the next two days, due to on 35th Avenue NE. Students will be transported home. Thornton Creek is cresting, and Meadowbrook Pond is overflowing its banks; crews are deploying sandbags in an attempt to contain the flooding. Sandbags are available at the Meadowbrook Community Center parking lot, located at 10517 35th Ave. NE. Five homes near the pond are said to have been flooded.





A landslide has been reported at 6031 Beach Drive SW and has closed the road.





Northbound lanes of the Battery Street Tunnel have reopened after a morning closure due to heavy rains. Southbound lanes remain closed.





NE Campus Parkway at Roosevelt Way NE is closed.





Flooding is occurring at Jackson Park Golf Course (1000 NE 135th St.). Several adjacent homes have been evacuated.





Approximately 75 Seattle City Light customers are out of power in the Aviation Heights neighborhood-- NE 75th Street and 56th Avenue NE.

The City of Seattle advises citizens whose property has flooded in the past to begin monitoring potential flooding. Stay out of low-lying areas during periods of intense rain or flooding.

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.

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.

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