If a tree falls in the forest…RUN for your life!

March 14, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I probably shouldn’t be making light of this… my husband, aka our intrepid reporter Scupper, was almost struck by a giant mature maple just moments ago. He was walking our dog on the Mee Kwa Mooks trail when he heard the tree starting to crack. He and our dog literally started to run for their lives. No sooner did the cracking start, the tree came down just missing them.


As one of our neighbors say, hubby used up one of his nine lives by and our dog narrowly escaping this.

Mee Kwa Mooks is filled with mature trees, including end-of-life, maples. It’s not unusual to walk the trails and have to step over recently downed trees. This is the first time (hopefully the last) where we’ve experienced this close of an encounter.

We will be reporting this to the parks department to see if they can target dangerous trees.

Stay safe, friends!

Filed Under: Parks, Safety Tagged With:

Back at the Beach Drive Speed Bumps

June 5, 2019 by 3 Comments
Measuring the Beach Drive “cushions”.

A crew from the City of Seattle are out this morning measuring the newly reinstalled speed bumps along the 4700 block of Beach Drive. I tried to talk to one of the gentlemen who seemed to be supervising, however he was less than chatty. He told me the group is there to measure “tolerances”. As I was not able to pry another word out of him, I’m assuming this was to see if if the humps can be raised higher while allowing emergency vehicles to “tolerate” the bumps.

I told him that the neighbors would really like to see more done on this stretch of Beach Drive as it’s often difficult to cross the street and unsafe with how some drivers use it as a freeway to and from Alki. I pretty much just received a blank stare. Maybe next time I’ll bring them coffee. 😉

A few days ago, KOMO4 news addressed the speed cushions and how the neighborhood is less than impressed with the effectiveness. It’s my guess that their coverage is what dragged the City back to the bumps.

Bumps, humps or cushions, it doesn’t matter to me what the term is, we need more done to stop the speeding and the passing that is constantly taking place in our neighborhood. Two nights ago, while walking our dogs, a neighbor and I witnessed two cars passing two cars flying north on Beach Drive. If someone would have been trying to cross the street, they would have had nowhere to run to get out of the way.

I hope that it doesn’t take a serious accident to have the City take real action to make Beach Drive a safer road for all of us. I don’t think that raising the cushions an inch is going to help deter the speeders – especially when they just scoot to the center of the road where the slope is lower (as it’s intentionally designed for emergency vehicles).

Is it time for our neighborhood to create a community organization to address issues like this?

Filed Under: Crime, Safety Tagged With: ,

Ahhh…. the Traffic Calming Speed Bumps

May 20, 2019 by 3 Comments

The long awaited speed bumps are being installed along Beach Drive between SW Angeline and Beach Drive Terrace SW.

We can all take a deep breath and relax with total faith knowing that these traffic calming improvements are going to slow down the speeders.

 

Or will they? They don’t appear to be enough to slow down a Suburu appearing to go the speed limit prior to flying over the bumps. So why are the bumps so minute?

Beach Drive is considered a main road and the new asphalt bumps are apparently as high as they are allowed for emergency vehicles.

We’ll see if the speed bumps provides Beach Drive any calm with the increased summer time speedy cruisers.

Filed Under: Crime, Safety Tagged With: ,

Potential Barking Dog Report: Wind, Waves and High Tides predicted for tomorrow

February 21, 2019 by 2 Comments

We have been keeping an eye on our mobile aps, WindAlert and PredictWind, which are both indicating that we could be in for quite a storm tomorrow morning. This, of course, coincides with very high tides of 12.8 feet at 7:00 am tomorrow morning.

Check out the tides predicted for tomorrow and how it potentially pairs with the wind forecast.

Here is the Puget Sound and Hood Canal Marine Forecast (last updated at 2:41 am):

 FRI  S wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. A chance of rain  in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.

 FRI NIGHT  S wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft subsiding to 2 ft or less after midnight.

If this forecast holds, we think there’s a strong potential that we could experience waves slosh over our bulkhead… especially if the wind direction leans to the southwest.

Last but not least, we’ve used a picture of a howling golden retriever for our “barking dog” reports warning of potential weather issues. We thought you might like to see our retriever in action.

Hitch dedicates this song to his favorite gal, Indie.

Filed Under: Safety, Tides, Weather Tagged With: , , , ,

Are you ready for more snow?

February 10, 2019 by 6 Comments

This morning we decided to drive to Lincoln Park before the next winter storm hits. Beach Drive was overall in good condition to drive with sporadic spots of ice (we do have all wheel drive). The north parking lot at Lincoln Park was closed. The south lot was open and icy.

The National Weather Service recently updated the forecast with a Winter Weather Advisory starting at 4:00 pm today and a Winter Storm Watch beginning on Monday.

UPDATED: 1153 AM PST Sun Feb 10 2019

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST MONDAY…
…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY MORNING
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON…

* WHAT…Snow expected late this afternoon and tonight with
accumulations of 2 to 4 inches likely. Heavy snow accumulations
of 5 to 10 inches are possible Monday afternoon and Monday
evening before precipitation possibly mixes with freezing rain,
rain or sleet.

* WHERE…Portions of west central Washington.

* WHEN…For the Winter Weather Advisory, from 4 PM this
afternoon to 4 AM PST Monday. For the Winter Storm Watch, from
Monday morning through Tuesday afternoon.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Travel could be very difficult to
impossible.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will
cause primarily travel difficulties. Expect snow covered roads
and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

A Winter Storm Watch means there is potential for significant
snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue
to monitor the latest forecasts.

For the latest road conditions in Washington state, call 5 1 1.

I am seeing the “s-word” in the forecast until Saturday! Please note the NWS advisory above does cover well beyond Seattle… hopefully we won’t wind up with as much snow as it looks possible. If we were to receive the highest amount of snow as predicted in the forecast below, we’d wind up with over a foot of snow by Tuesday!

The snow does make some people happy.

Filed Under: Safety, Weather Tagged With: , ,

High Wind Warning and High Tides

January 5, 2019 by Leave a Comment

We have a high wind warning that goes into effect in about an hour that will coincide with high tides. There are a lot of mixed forecast tonight that are being hyped over various media outlets. We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

This was issued at 6:39 P.M. from the National Weather Service:

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM
PST SUNDAY...

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a High Wind
Warning, which is in effect from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Sunday. The Wind Advisory is no longer in effect.

* WIND…South to southwest wind 20 to 35 mph with gusts 45 to 55
mph. A brief period with gusts to around 60 mph is possible
during the peak of the storm overnight.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Hoquaim, Forks, Tacoma, Seattle,
Bremerton, and Friday Harbor.

* TIMING…South to southwest winds will rapidly develop late this
evening then ease around daybreak Sunday. For most of the area,
the strongest winds will occur in the early morning hours on
Sunday. In the central Puget Sound region, including Seattle,
the peak winds are expected between 2 AM and 4 AM.

* IMPACTS…Winds may down trees and cause power outages.
Dangerous cross winds will be possible on east-west oriented
roadways including I-90 and SR-520 across Lake Washington.
Temporary structures and fences may be damaged. Loose or
unsecured objects may be displaced.

High tide is predicted at 6:16 am to be 12.18 feet.



Here is the Wind Alert current prediction (subject to change, of course!)




Puget Sound Marine Forecast:


Puget Sound and Hood Canal-

831 PM PST Sat Jan 5 2019


GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST SUNDAY

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PST SUNDAY THROUGH

SUNDAY AFTERNOON


TONIGHT

E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming S 25 to 35 kt after

midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft building to 4 to 6 ft after

midnight. Rain likely in the evening then showers after midnight.


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. A

chance of showers.


It’s quite possible that this could be a big storm… but as far as flooding, we’re leaning towards that we’ll have impresive splash come over and might have to fire up the pumps between 4:00 am – 6:00 am but it won’t be significant based on the reports we review for our personal reference. This is probably a good time to remind our readers that we are not weather forecasters – we are just your neighbors sharing information that we use for our purposes.


Filed Under: Safety, Weather 
High Tides and Winds


December 29, 2018  by  Leave a Comment 
It looks like we’re in for another windy day. With a wind advisory in effect until 4:00 pm today and an extra high tide of 12.59 feet at 10:32 this morning.


Here’s the current (8:08 am) Wind Alert forecast. If we do see gusts in the 40s around high tide, it’s quite possible we’ll see some water coming over the bulkhead.




 


The Puget Sound Marine forecast has a small craft advisory until 10am this morning (last update 2:41 am).


 TODAY  S wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 6 ft. Rain.


 TONIGHT  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind becoming NW 10 to 20 kt N  part in the evening and SW 10 to 20 kt S part in the evening.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. A chance of rain.


National Weather Service (4:00 am update).


...WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST
THIS AFTERNOON...

* WIND...Southerly 20 to 35 mph with gusts 45 to 50 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...Port Townsend, Everett, Bremerton,
  Seattle, Tacoma, La Push, Ocean Shores, Westport, and Hoquiam.

* IMPACTS...Winds may snap weak branches that have not been
  pruned by recent storms, produce isolated power outages, and
  make the driving of high-profile vehicles difficult.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Wind Advisory means that winds of 35 mph are expected. Winds
this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.


We’re not sure if this is going to be a “Barking Dog Report” event where we think there will be flooding along Beach Drive… just something to keep alert about at this point… and we will be past high tide in just over two hours.


Stay tuned!


Filed Under: Safety, Weather Tagged With: , , 
Barking Dog Report: High Wind Warning and Wind Waves


December 20, 2018  by  Leave a Comment 
Good morning, Neighbors! Well the wind and rain is just starting to pick up along Beach Drive in West Seattle. We just passed low tide and are now on our way to an estimated 11.71 feet at 2:06 pm today.


Here’s a peek a the current forecast from Wind Alert.




The Puget Sound Marine Forecast (updated at 8:38 am) has a Gale Warning in effect through this evening.


 S wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 35 to 45 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the  afternoon. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.


The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning. This was last updated at 3:29 a.m. I’m surprised it hasn’t been updated yet this morning…maybe they’re stalling to get a better read on pending storm?  At 7:54 a.m. the NWS added a Special Weather Statement warning of a higher risk of landslides.  Here’s the wind warning;


...HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
7 PM PST THIS EVENING...

* WIND...South to southeast wind 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to
  60 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, and
  Bremerton.

* TIMING...Winds will increase rapidly Thursday morning with the
  strongest gusts expected for a few hours Thursday afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Snapped tree branches and downed trees along with
  some power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected
or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts
of 58 mph or more can lead to property damage.




Bottom line, our plans have not changed since last night. We are preparing to flood and possibly lose power… the joys of living on Puget Sound! If you still have any patio furniture or other potential projectiles outside, you may want to secure them. Charge up your cell phones and have some candles ready. Stay safe, Neighbors!


Filed Under: Safety, Weather 
BARKING DOG REPORT: High Wind Watch and High Tides Thursday


December 19, 2018  by  Leave a Comment 
Anytime we have waves predicted at 7 feet combined with high tides, it’s likely we’ll issue a barking dog report. This is a lengthy post so if you want the “bottom line”, we are preparing for the possibility of flooding around the second high tide tomorrow (11.79 feet at 2:44 pm). If we see anything near the currently predicted 7 foot waves, we could see water coming over our bulkhead starting around lunchtime. If you have a waterfront home along Beach Drive, you may want to prepare for potential flooding. With the strong winds that are predicted, we could see power outages as well.


Here’s what Wind Alert has currently (as of 8:40 am 12/19/18) predicted for Thursday:




And here are the predicted tides for Puget Sound:




High tides for Thursday, December 20, 2018 are 11.27 at 4:30 am and 11.79 at 2:44 pm. According to wind alert, we could see gusts in the mid to upper 40s approaching the afternoon high tide.


I’ve been stalling on this post waiting for updated forecast… here we go!


Puget Sound Marine Forecast has issued a small craft advisory in effect until 4:00 pm this afternoon and a gale warning from tonight through tomorrow at 4:00 pm.


THU  S wind 25 to 35 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 4 to 7 ft. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the  afternoon.  


THU NIGHT  SW 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.


The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for tomorrow. Note: the local Seattle forecast from the NWS shows gusts as high as 50 mph tomorrow.


...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST THURSDAY...


The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a High Wind

Warning, which is in effect from 7 AM to 7 PM PST Thursday. The

High Wind Watch is no longer in effect.


* WIND…South to southeast wind 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60

mph.


* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Ferndale, Bellingham, Sandy Point,

Anacortes, Friday Harbor, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett,

and Bremerton.


* TIMING…Winds will increase rapidly Thursday morning with the

strongest gusts expected for a few hours Thursday afternoon.

This is not expected to be a prolonged event.


* IMPACTS…Snapped tree branches and downed trees along with

local power outages.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…


A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected

or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts

of 58 mph or more can lead to property damage.


City of Seattle forecast:


TONIGHT…Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the 40s. East wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph after midnight.


THURSDAY…Very windy. Rain. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs in the lower to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph increasing to 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph in the afternoon.


THURSDAY NIGHT…Windy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the evening, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the 30s to lower 40s. Southwest wind 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight.


We will be spending today getting our home ready for strong winds, potential flooding and loss of power. Mother Nature showed us yesterday with the tornado that touched down in Port Orchard that she is nothing to mess around with.


Of course, forecast can and do change – be sure to stay tuned!


Filed Under: Safety, Weather 
High Wind Watch for Friday


December 13, 2018  by  2 Comments 
The National Weather Service has just issued a “High Wind Watch” from 10 am through

6pm Friday…check out how someone spelled Bellevue below 😉 This is right in time

for high tide which is predicted to be at 11.72 feet at 10:12 am Friday.


1143 AM PST Thu Dec 13 2018


…HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH

FRIDAY EVENING…


* WIND…South wind potentially 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.


* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Seattle, Bellview, Tacoma and

Bremerton.


* TIMING…10 AM Friday morning through 6 PM Friday evening.


Currently, Wind Alert’s predictions are not as exciting as what the National Weather Service’s Wind Watch.




This time of year, Scupper and I start to feel a bit like “Chicken Little” with all

of our warnings and Barking Dog Reports…we feel it’s always better to be safe than

sorry when it comes to dealing with Mother Nature.


Stay tuned!


Filed Under: Safety, Weather 
« Previous Page
Next Page »