All about the West Seattle neighborhood around Beach Drive
Around 3:00 am this morning, a vehicle struck a utility pole on Beach Drive around the 5400 block. According to a neighbor, tow trucks are now on scene and the roads are still closed as I write this post (7:30 am). We have not heard how the passenger(s) are doing after the emergency rescue.
If you haven’t been watching the afternoon news or reading West Seattle Blog, you might be wondering what’s up with the helicopters overhead all morning… and I guess if you’re on that portion of Beach Drive without power, you just might be in the dark (so to speak).
Apparently there is an ongoing standoff taking place at 42nd and Findlay. It appears that the SWAT team was called out for an eviction possibly involving family members. The home was registered having a large amount of firearms which is likely why SWAT was called. The home was set fire and areas of West Seattle have lost power.
I don’t know if the area on Beach Drive is a cause of the fire or if it’s just a coincidence.
Many nearby streets are blocked off.
West Seattle Blog has ongoing coverage of this event.
We had some anxious neighbors wanting us to make everyone aware of some changes to the earth in Emma Schmitz View Point. We did encourage them to contact the City of Seattle.
This is at the southern part of where the rock bulkhead and the metal seawall meet. It looks like it could be a possible water line leak? Our intrepid reporter, Scupper, took this photo and commented that the grounds are quite spongy.
UPDATE 9:36 AM:
Scupper talked to Seattle Public Utilities worker who mentioned that the nearby water meter is spinning. He was in the process of contacting Seattle Parks to ask for direction of how to proceed. Apparently the parks department is in control of everything beyond the public sidewalk where there is a park.
This spongy bulge (aka the Beach Drive Bulge) should be resolved soon.
This just in from our intrepid reporter Scupper, you can expect delays while repairs are being done to the sewer line by 4100 Beach Drive SW.
This stretch on Beach Drive is notorious for it’s sinking pot holes which makes for rough driving. Scupper asked if this section of road would be repaired while the sewer work is taking place. He was told that would be up to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
So drive safe, try to be patient and mind those potholes neighbors!
A gale warning has been issued effective 10:00 pm tonight through 10:00 tomorrow morning. There is a possibility of flooding for those who live on the water off Beach Drive…especially if winds from the South are your nemesis. Based on the models that we rely on for wind predictions, we think we could be in for some real weather tomorrow morning starting around 7:00 am. It looks like we will have high sustained winds with strong gusts at high tide between 7:45 and 8:30 tomorrow morning with the high tide predicted to be 12.3.
Here’s a snapshot from Windlert
Here is the current Puget Sound forecast:
SUN S wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. Rain in the morning then showers in the afternoon.
Of course forecast often change… we like to error on the side of caution when it comes to our weather.
We’ll be posting updates when/if necessary. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/beachdriveblog
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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