Wild Wind and Waves: BARKING DOG REPORT

It’s been a while since we’ve issued a “Barking Dog Report”. One of the main reasons for starting this blog was to help alert neighbors when we think we’re going to flood from the combination of strong winds and high tides coming over our bulkhead. Like a neighbor’s friendly dog barking dog, it could be a false alarm or it could be an actual event to contend with. So if you see a “barking dog report” – we are preparing to flood or for a strong weather event. The joys of living on Puget Sound!

Today is one of those days… we are preparing to possibly flood because of the strong winds in the forecast combined with the high tide this afternoon of 11.73 at 1:19 pm.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning which is in effect until 9pm tonight.

 

…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PST THIS EVENING…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a High Wind
Warning, which is in effect until 9 PM PST this evening. The Wind
Advisory is no longer in effect.

* WIND…South 25 to 40 mph with gusts TO 60 or 65 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…The I-5 metro corridor from Lewis
county north to Snohomish county. Includes the greater Seattle
area, Bellevue, Tacoma, Bremerton, and Olympia.

* TIMING…Late this morning through early this evening.

* IMPACTS…Falling trees and limbs, power outages, and minor
damage to structures.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

High winds can topple trees onto roads, vehicles, and rooftops.
Falling trees or large branches have been known to cause
fatalities during windstorms. Downed power lines can cause power
outages lasting a couple of hours or longer. Secure loose outdoor
objects or light-weight furniture before the potentially damaging
winds arrive.

The Puget Sound Marine forecast (last updated at 2:36 am as of the writing of this post):

 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING    TODAY  S wind 25 to 35 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft. Rain.

 TONIGHT  S wind 30 to 40 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. Showers likely.

And last but not least, check out Wind Alert’s current forecast (as of 8:38 am) for Alki Point:

We have sustained winds starting at 20 mph around high tide (1 pm) with gust predicted about 47 mph and BUILDING throughout the afternoon.

A high tide of 11.73 around 1 pm when the winds are expected to really pick up and waves estimated at 5-7 feet means that we believe odds are we will have water coming over our bulkhead and are preparing accordingly.

Check out this ol’ post from 10 years ago about the “The P’s” for preparing for this type of weather event.

Stay safe, Friends and Neighbors!

Gale Watch Issued for Monday

9:05 am UPDATE: The Puget Sound Marine Forecast now has waves up to 8 feet!

MON  S wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 5 to 8 ft. Rain.  MON NIGHT  S wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after  midnight.

ORIGINAL POST:

 

It looks like we’re in for a week of windy, wet weather starting with what is currently (as I write this post at 8:30 Sunday morning) a gale warning for Monday.

 

From the Puget Sound Marine Forecast (last updated at 3:26 this morning):

MON  S wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. Rain.  

MON NIGHT  S wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft subsiding to 1 to 3 ft after  midnight.

Check out the forecast from Wind Alert with the strongest winds hitting us right at high tide… which is predicted to be 11.73 feet at 1:19 pm on Monday. With winds building throughout the afternoon, including gust up to 56 mph around 4:00 pm per this chart.

Puget Sound tides for tomorrow and Tuesday… btw Tuesday has constant strong winds predicted as well… just not as hairy as what is in the forecast for tomorrow.

We are going to be moving the rest of our planters off our deck and finishing our “winter storm prep” today in advance of the storm.

Please let you neighbors know what’s in the forecast…I’m often surprised how many long time residence of Beach Drive are taken by surprise from storms.

 

Are you ready for potential storm Wednesday?

We have some windy weather in the forecast starting Tuesday. It looks like the wind will be almost non-stop on Wednesday. Combine the forecast with the some high tides could mean that some of us along the water may flood.

We are currently getting our pumps out for the first time this “season” to inspect them and prepare for potential flooding this week. Because we tend to have water come over the bulkhead during high tides and southwest winds, we’ll continue to have our pumps on standby.

When we anticipate high odds of flooding is when we publish a “barking dog” report here at Beach Drive Blog and shared on Facebook and Twitter. One of the main reasons for starting this blog many years ago was to try to share this information with neighbors. A barking dog report is like a friendly neighbor’s dog who barks to warn of impending danger – sometimes they’re right and sometimes not. 😉

Here are the upcoming tides for Puget Sound:

High tides will be hitting us around 4:00 pm over the next few days.

Tomorrow, the winds will begin picking up and it looks like we’ll dodge flooding on Tuesday with the forecast from “Wind Alert” showing winds dying down before high tide.

However it looks like the wind may be howling most of the day on Wednesday.

Of course forecast often change and this is as good of reason as any to get prepared for this winter’s storm season…even if we don’t flood, we could experience a power outage with the wind and heavy rain expected during this pineapple express.

Stay safe, Neighbors!

Possible Toxic Sound by Harbor West Condos

Earlier today one of our readers gave us a heads up of a possible sewage leak by the Harbor West Condos. The beach at Cormorant Cove is closed.

If this is indeed a sewage leak from the Harbor West Condos…it wouldn’t be the first time.
 

High Wind Watch and Gale Warning for tomorrow

Tomorrow’s weather looks like it could be spectacular…kind of like the cherry blossoms that are just starting to bloom.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Watch (last updated at 11:05 am today as of the writing of this post).

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Seattle WA
1105 AM PDT Thu Apr 6 2017

...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY
EVENING...

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a High Wind
Watch, which is in effect from late Friday morning through early Friday
evening.

* WIND...Possible south wind 20 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60
mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...Tacoma...Seattle...Everett...Port
  Townsend...Whidbey Island...The San Juan Islands...and
  Bellingham.

* TIMING...Strongest winds are most likely Friday afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Winds of this strength can break branches off of
  trees...topple weakened trees and produce power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Watch means there is the potential for a hazardous
high wind event. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph...or gusts of
58 mph or stronger may occur. Continue to monitor the latest
forecasts.

Puget Sound Marine Forecast:

PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL- 231 PM PDT THU APR 6 2017
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FRIDAY
TONIGHT S WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING N. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT.  RAIN AFTER 
MIDNIGHT.
 
FRI  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT BECOMING S 30 TO 40 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. 
WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN THE  AFTERNOON. 
RAIN IN THE MORNING THEN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
FRI NIGHT  S WIND 25 TO 35 KT EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. 
WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF 
SHOWERS.

Ready for another colorful picture? Check out Wind Alert's forecast for 
Lincoln Park.


EEEKS!!!! If the forecast is correct, we're in for some major wind from 
Mother Nature... some good news -- looks like the timing of the tides may 
be cooperating.


With that said, we are still preparing to potentially flood...we don't 
think it's likely, but would rather be safe than sorry. 

The joys of living on Puget Sound!

Field trip to Beach Drive

You may have noticed the group of students and the school bus by Mee Kwa Mooks on Beach Drive. They are here to study the 43 mile long Seattle Fault line zone that has a portion running through Beach Drive to the Bainbridge Island.

We noticed the group walking by homes along the 4700 block and then heading north. One of the leaders of the group told us this is an annual trip that they typically do in the fall.

It’s reminding me that we really need to get our safety kit ready to be prepared for an earthquake or tsunami.

Barking Dog Report: Wind Advisory with High Tide

Barking-Dog-ReportThe National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory starting at 9:00 am this morning and going though 3:00 pm this afternoon…this is just in time for a very high tide of 12.15 at 2:24 pm.

Remember, we call this a “barking dog report” because just like your neighbors dog that barks a little too much… sometimes there’s actually a reason for the barking. We issue a “barking dog report” when we think there is a good probability that we may have flooding from water coming over the bulkhead.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
435 AM PST SAT NOV 12 2016

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO 3 PM
PST THIS AFTERNOON...

* TIMING...STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING
  THROUGH 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

* WINDS...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH.

* IMPACTS...WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN BREAK TREE LIMBS FALLING
  ONTO ROADS...VEHICLES...AND ROOFTOPS. ISOLATED POWER OUTAGES ARE
  POSSIBLE.

2016-11-12-tides

The Puget Sound Marine forecast:

S WIND 15 TO 25 KT…BECOMING SW 20 TO 30 KT LATE IN THE
MORNING AND AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT…BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT.  RAIN IN THE MORNING…THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.

Wind Alert has the strongest gusts predicted around 11:00 am through 2:00 pm today.

2016-11-12-wind

If not for the 12 foot tides and currently predicted strong southwest winds… I *might* not be yapping right now. And want to give neighbors as much notice as possible in the event some of us flood.

Weather forecast change constantly. These reports are from around 4:00 am this morning (not sure how current Wind Alerts reporting is).

Stay tuned and be safe!

Wet, Wind and Waves

Well we made it through last night without having to fire up our pumps. Now we are waiting for the next high tide later this afternoon when winds are anticipated to be strong.

Our next high tide is at predicted to be 11.64 feet around 4:11 pm today.

Here is Wind Alert’s graph showing wind predictions for the Lincoln Park area.

2016-10-14-wind

Check out the gust!!

Puget Sound Marine Forecast

PZZ135-141900-
PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL-
258 AM PDT FRI OCT 14 2016

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT

TODAY
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT…BECOMING 20 TO 30 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT…SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.

TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.

SAT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT…BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS…BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING…THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.

SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 35 TO 45 KT…BECOMING S 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 6 TO 8 FT…SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT.

The direction of the winds today, per The Weather Channel, are actually south southwest. This is more concerning for our home as we tend to flood with a SW wind (assuming the tide is high enough and winds are strong).

Our home will be “on alert” later this afternoon as our next opportunity to have water come over our bulkhead approaches with the high tide around 4:00 pm

But wait…it’s not over yet! We have Saturday’s storm which local forecasters are saying will be a whopper. 

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
449 AM PDT FRI OCT 14 2016
SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-EVERETT AND VICINITY-TACOMA AREA-HOOD CANAL AREA-
BELLEVUE AND VICINITY-SEATTLE AND VICINITY-BREMERTON AND VICINITY-
449 AM PDT FRI OCT 14 2016

…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING…
…HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT…
…HIGH WIND WARNING HAS ENDED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…
WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING. THE HIGH WIND
WARNING HAS ENDED.

* TIMING…SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL RISE AGAIN MIDDAY TODAY AND PEAK
THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING…THEN EASE TEMPORARILY
TONIGHT. A STRONGER STORM WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY EVENING WITH HIGH
WINDS LIKELY.

* WINDS…SOUTH WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH
TODAY…STRONGEST MIDDAY THROUGH AFTERNOON. SOUTH WINDS 20 TO 40
MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS…THERE WERE SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES OVERNIGHT…AND
MORE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE WINDS TODAY. TREE DAMAGE IS TYPICALLY
GREATER THIS EARLY IN THE SEASON…SO KEEP IN MIND THAT FALLING
LIMBS AND TREES ARE AN OCCASIONAL CAUSE OF INJURY AND FATALITY
DURING WESTERN WASHINGTON WINDSTORMS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WINDS OF 35 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH GUSTS
AS HIGH AS 50 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING
DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA
CAUTION.

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH
WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH…OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH
OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

2016-10-15-tides
Saturday’s high tides are a 10.77 at 4:44 am and a 11.9 at 4:45 pm.

Stay safe, my friends! Looks like you may have a couple hours to prepare, if you haven’t already.

Storms anticipated to be worse than expected

The National Weather Service have recently updated the forecast for the storm coming in tonight and the following storm on Saturday. [Read more…]

High Wind Warning starts 6:00 pm tonight

From the National Weather Service: [Read more…]