All about the West Seattle neighborhood around Beach Drive
Hot off the PDF press! The Seattle Police Department has released their community newsletter. You get your copy by clicking here.
This issue addresses:
The weather forecast for tomorrow is concerning enough for us to pull anchor on our boats to move them to more protected areas. Here’s what we’re looking at that’s causing us to take this action:
We have a gale warning in effect through Sunday evening.
This is from the Puget Sound Marine Forecast:
SAT SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING S 25 TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT…BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT S WIND 10 TO 20 KT…EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT…SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SHOWERS IN THE EVENING…THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM TO 5 PM PDT SATURDAY. * TIMING…MIDDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. * WINDS…SOUTH WIND 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH. * IMPACTS…DOWNED LIMBS AND LOCAL POWER OUTAGES. 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.
SATURDAY NIGHT…BREEZY. SHOWERS IN THE EVENING…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE IN THE EVENING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A HALF INCH TO ONE INCH POSSIBLE. LOWS IN THE 50S. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH DECREASING TO AROUND 10 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
Tides will be rising from a -1.02 at 11:05 am tomorrow to an 11.73 at 5:47 pm tomorrow – just in time for the wind! From NOAA:
UPDATE July 31, 2015: The heat advisory has been extended through 8:00 pm Sunday, August 2, 2015!
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory through 9:00 pm Saturday night.
They recommend:
TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS…IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE…RESCHEDULE
STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING IF POSSIBLE.
KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE.
WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK
PLENTY OF WATER.
THE INTERIOR OF AUTOMOBILES CAN BECOME VERY HOT
CREATING A DANGER IF CHILDREN OR PETS ARE LEFT UNATTENDED.
CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.
TODAY…SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO MID 90S. NORTH WIND TO 10 MPH INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT…CLEAR. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH BECOMING NORTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT.
FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 80S TO LOWER 90S. LIGHT WIND BECOMING NORTH AROUND 10 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
FRIDAY NIGHT…CLEAR. LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S. NORTH WIND AROUND 10 MPH BECOMING NORTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SATURDAY…SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 80S TO LOWER 90S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.
PS: The forecast for Seattle Night Out on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 is sunny in the upper 70’s…how refreshing!
The Seattle Police Department has released their newsletter with very helpful tips on how to stay safe during this hot weather and how to report graffiti.
It also includes a reminder that Seattle Night Out is on Tuesday, August 4, 2015. If you’re neighborhood is hosting a Seattle Night Out party, you’re encouraged to register it with the SPD here.
I’m crossing my fingers that the current forecasts I’m reading are exaggerating the predictions for Thursday. The coastal flooding is predicted to impact local high tides, causing a 14 ft on Wednesday morning around 8 am and a 14.5 ft on Thursday morning around 9 – 10 am. Combine this with the high wind watch with possible gusts up to 65 mph and I smell trouble!
If you live on the water along Beach Drive, you might want to make sure you have pumps ready to go and take any actions needed to prepare for potential flooding. Be sure to continue to check the forecast as they do change…hopefully for the better!
Please share this information with your Beach Drive neighbors – they may not be aware of the pending storm.
...COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO NOON PST WEDNESDAY... ...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO NOON PST WEDNESDAY. A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. * IMPACTS...MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOW IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AREAS AROUND THE INLAND WATERS AROUND HIGH TIDE ON WEDNESDAY. MORE SERIOUS AND EXTENSIVE COASTAL FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY IF A DEEP LOW THAT IS SHOWN BY MANY FORECAST MODELS COMES IN AROUND HIGH TIDE. THIS DEEP LOW WOULD PRODUCE A 1 TO 2 FOOT STORM SURGE ON TOP OF PREDICTED TIDE VALUES AND WOULD BE COMBINED WITH WAVES DEVELOPED BY STRONG WINDS. * TIME OF HIGH TIDE...ABOUT 8 AM PST WEDNESDAY AND 9-10 AM PST THURSDAY. * PREDICTED TIDE...AT SEATTLE ABOUT 14 FEET ON WEDNESDAY AND POSSIBLY AROUND 14.5 FEET ON THURSDAY. MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOW AT SEATTLE NORMALLY BEGINS AROUND 13.5 FEET AND SERIOUS COASTAL FLOODING TYPICALLY BEGINS AT 14.5 FEET. TIDAL ANOMALIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIMILAR AT OTHER LOCATIONS BETWEEN OLYMPIA AND POINT ROBERTS ALONG THE SHORES OF THE INLAND WATERS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY INDICATES THAT ONSHORE WINDS AND TIDES WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE FLOODING OF LOW AREAS ALONG THE SHORE. A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH MEANS FLOODING OR BEACH EROSION WILL OCCUR IF WEATHER CONDITIONS DEVELOP AS PREDICTED. RESIDENTS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. Seattle City Forecast:
…HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING…
TONIGHT…RAIN IN THE EVENING…THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A HALF INCH TO ONE INCH POSSIBLE. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH. GUSTS TO 35 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
WEDNESDAY…BREEZY…RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A HALF INCH TO ONE INCH POSSIBLE. HIGHS NEAR 60. SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT…RAIN AT TIMES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. LOWS NEAR 50. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH BECOMING EAST WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
THURSDAY…VERY WINDY. RAIN AT TIMES. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 50S. NORTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH INCREASING TO SOUTH 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
THURSDAY NIGHT…WINDY. SHOWERS LIKELY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. LOWS IN THE MID 40S. SOUTHWEST WIND 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
NWS Forecast for Thursday currently has gusts up to 70 MPH!!!
Here’s a snap shot of the pending tides – please remember this is NOT reflecting the coastal flooding which causes the tides to be higher than originally predicted.
UPDATE: 4:58 PM to add the Puget Sound Marine Forecast: SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING WED S WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. RAIN. WED NIGHT S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THU N WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 35 TO 45 KT. STORM FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT. THU NIGHT SW WIND 35 TO 45 KT EARLY...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT. STORM FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 6 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. A “barking dog report” means that we are very closely watching the sound and preparing to possibly flood. It may or may not happen (hopefully not!!). Consider us your neighbor’s barking dog who’s barking at potential trouble. Stay safe my friends!
UPDATE 12/2/2014: The burn ban has been lifted. Hoorah!
Apparently the Grinch IS green and eco-friendly. This just in from the City of Seattle:
NEWS RELEASE
Ed Murray, Mayor
Christopher Williams, Acting Superintendent
For immediate release
December 1, 2014
Contact: David Takami 206-684-7241 david.takami@seattle.gov
Burn ban in effect: Beach fires prohibited at Golden Gardens Park and Alki Beach Park
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) has issued a burn ban for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
For Seattle Parks and Recreation, this means that beach fires at Alki Beach Park, 1702 Alki Ave. SW, and Golden Gardens Park, 8498 Seaview Ave. NW, are prohibited until the PSCAA lifts the ban. Bonfires lit for on-shore Christmas Ship events will also be affected.
The ban, due to stagnant weather conditions and rising air pollution, was issued on November 30, 2014, and will be in effect until further notice. The purpose of a burn ban is to reduce the amount of pollution that is creating unhealthy air.
Violation of the ban can result in a $1,000 fine from the PSCAA.
For more information on burn ban please visit the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at http://www.pscleanair.org/airq/status.aspx.
The Christmas Ships will be at Alki and cruising past Beach Drive to Lowman Beach on December 13, 2014.
You can smell the smoke in the air. Several fire vehicles are there or en route to what appears to be an apartment building or condo off Beach Drive. Scupper is in route. We hope everyone is okay. More to follow – including a video towards the end of this post (scroll down).
Update 3:27 pm. Here are some photos from Scupper who is on the scene at the fire at 3855 Beach Drive. Beach Drive is currently blocked from all of the fire rescue vehicles. Scupper counts at least 9 firetrucks plus at least a couple paramedics with more on the way.
The hoses ran from Carrol Street near LaRustica for a couple blocks. Scupper counted as many as 20 different types of rescue vehicles at one point.
Via Twitter, a lower unit is engulfed in flames.
@westseattleblog – yeah, looks pretty devastating. Fire fighters with hoses from the water side now. pic.twitter.com/7glUstkHAj
— Vanessa Fox (@vanessafox) November 29, 2014
SDP offering to bring in a Metro bus for residents of the apartmentment and checking to see if they have shelter. 
Photos from the beach show the burned lower apartment. 
Scupper reports that some of the fire trucks are leaving now. According to neighbors, it looks like no residents were seriously injured.
4:15 Update: West Seattle Blog reports that a fireman was hurt and was taken to the hospital.
7:30 pm update: One firetruck with crew remains and the fire investigators have recently left the scene of the apartment that caught fire off Beach Drive this afternoon. More information will follow as to the cause of this incident.
Sirens screamed down Beach Drive in the wee hours this morning to the call of a fire in a home at 4800 Beach Drive.
Scupper was on the scene and learned that the fire was put out by quick thinking and a garden house before the fire trucks arrived. You can still smell smoke in the air.
Thank goodness nobody was hurt. Back to bed!
Brace yourself for another stormy day. As I write this post (8:00 am) we have a wind advisory starting around noon and ending at 6:00 pm and a gale warning in effect until 4:00 pm with a high tide of 11.86 feet at 3:32 pm.
Here is the current Seattle City forecast:
…WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM PST THIS EVENING…
TODAY…WINDY. RAIN AT TIMES IN THE MORNING…THEN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A QUARTER TO A HALF INCH POSSIBLE. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 60S. SOUTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH BECOMING SOUTHWEST 20 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT…BREEZY. MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S. SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH BECOMING SOUTH TO 10 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY S WIND 15 TO 25 KT…BECOMING SW 25 TO 35 KT LATE IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT…BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. RAIN IN THE MORNING…THEN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT…EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT…S
A “barking dog report” means that we are very closely watching the sound and preparing to possibly flood. It may or may not happen (hopefully not!!). Consider us your neighbor’s barking dog who’s barking at potential trouble.
For those newer to Beach Drive Blog, one of the main reasons why we started this neighborhood site was to help keep the neighborhood informed of potential weather situations. I’m often surprised when neighbors are caught completely off guard or are not prepared for potential flooding. A “barking dog report” is kind of like your neighbors dog that’s barking – it could mean trouble or nothing at all. At the very least, it may serve as a reminder to be prepared for big storms.
So what’s triggering this “barking dog” is that we have wind gusts up to 60 mph in Seattle tonight. Eeee gahds! We have a HIGH WIND WARNING in effect starting at 8:00 pm tonight and ending at 2:00 am.
From the NWS: A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A HAZARDOUS WIND EVENT IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
Check out the current forecast (and be sure to check back as forecast do change).
…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 2 AM PDT SUNDAY…
TONIGHT…VERY WINDY. RAIN IN THE EVENING…THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A QUARTER TO A HALF INCH POSSIBLE. LOWS IN THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S. SOUTH WIND 25 TO 40 MPH BECOMING SOUTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. GUSTS TO 60 MPH.
SUNDAY…BREEZY. SHOWERS LIKELY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. HIGHS IN THE 50S. SOUTHWEST WIND 15 TO 25 MPH.
SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH BECOMING SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT.
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TONIGHT N WIND 10 TO 20 KT EARLY…BECOMING SW AND RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT…BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. RAIN IN THE EVENING…THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SUN SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SHOWERS LIKELY.
SUN NIGHT SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT…BECOMING S 5 TO O 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
And last… but not least… the tides
It looks like we may miss any serious flooding (green-water spilling over the bulkhead). Tonight’s high tide is 10.7 ft just before 6:00 pm. If the strong winds blow in at 8:00 pm, then tides should be around 8 feet (give or take)… however if you add 4 to 6 foot waves to the mix, it could be interesting. The good news is that the tides will be heading down until midnight.
The main reason for the “barking dog” is that if the wind warning lives up to forecast with 60 mph winds, we could see downed tree branches, loss of power, etc. If you have any umbrellas or other potential projectiles outside, you may want to make sure everything is secure.
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