Gunshots Last Night

Some neighbors who live on the 5000 block of Beach Drive are reporting hearing 405 gunshots last night (Friday, January 20, 2023) around 8:35 pm.

If you live between 5000-5100 blocks of Beach Drive, neighbors are asking you to please check your outdoor security cameras around that time and share any additional information with the SPD.

 

 

Barking Dog Report: Gale Watch through Late Tuesday Night

We had a heck of a storm today with waves that just didn’t seem to stop. Some neighbors agree that it’s one of the worst storms they have ever witnessed living on Beach Drive with the waves and wind.

Tomorrow’s forecast looks like it could be more severe that what we experienced today with gusts predicted up to 50 mph around 4:00 pm.

High tide is an est. 12.90 feet at around 8:39 AM; about when the winds are predicted to start shifting to more south – southwest with estimated gusts of around 40 and heading higher.

From Wind Alert as of 3:30 p.m. today.

Puget Sound Marine forecast has not been updated since this morning.

Puget Sound and Hood Canal-
852 AM PST Mon Dec 26 2022

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE TUESDAY
NIGHT

TONIGHT
E wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 5 to 7 ft after midnight. Rain.

TUE  S wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft. Rain.

TUE NIGHT   SW wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 5 to 7 ft.

 

So bottom line, this is a “barking dog” report. If tomorrow is anything like today, we anticipate that homes along Beach Drive may be dealing with waves coming over. Stay safe, Neighbors!

Rain, Wind and Waves forecasted for Monday

We have a Small Craft Advisory in effect starting late tonight through Monday morning. Wind Alert is showing that it may be very gusty all of Monday.

Puget Sound Marine forecast as of 9:05 am this morning:

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING

SUN
S wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. A chance of showers in the morning then rain in the afternoon.

SUN NIGHT
S wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 20 to 30 kt after midnight. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft.

MON
SW wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft building to 4 to 6 ft in the afternoon.

MON 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.

Forecast for Seattle:

SUNDAY NIGHT…Breezy, rain. Rainfall amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Lows in the 40s. South wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.

MONDAY…Windy. Showers in the morning, then showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. Highs near 50. Southwest wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph increasing to 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the afternoon.

MONDAY NIGHT…Windy. Showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then showers likely after midnight. Lows near 40.

TUESDAY…Breezy. Showers likely in the morning, then partly sunny with a chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 50s.

Last but not least… the tides for Monday, April 4, 2022:

  • Low Tide: 4.90 ft at 1:31 AM
  • HIGH TIDE: 10.88 ft at 7:06 AM
  • Low Tide: -0.12 ft at 1:49 PM
  • HIGH TIDE: 10.56 ft at 8:43 pm

If we have winds gusting in the mid-40s with waves 5-6 foot waves, we could see some serious splashing over seawalls. If the current wind forecast is accurate, we might “luck out” with the tides.

 

Barking Dog Report: Friday set to be a Howler

The forecast for Friday looks very wet and windy. As I write this, Thursday morning, we have a small craft advisory issued for most of the day tomorrow. Here’s a current snapshot from WindAlert for Alki Point:

Tides on Friday go form a low of 0.60 feet at 8:42 AM to 11.25 feet at 4:23 PM.

The Puget Sound Marine Forecast, as of 8:46 AM this morning has wind waves up to 4-5 feet.

FRI  S wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. Rain likely.  

FRI NIGHT  S wind 20 to 30 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 to 5 ft.

 SAT  S wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft.

Around high tide, if we have gusts in the 30s mostly coming from the south with some southwest and waves of 4-5 feet, we’re likely to see plenty of splashing and possibly water coming over bulkheads.

Some neighbors are already moving their boats to where they will be more protected from the wind and waves.

With this being the first BIG rain of the season combined with the predicted wind, we’re expecting some tree branches to come down too.

Stay safe, Neighbors!

New Crosswalk as fresh as a Spring Day

We finally have a crosswalk at Beach Drive and Jacobsen!


Isn’t it simply gorgeous?

NOW… we just need to have a crosswalk installed north of this one to connect Me Kwa Mooks and Emma Schmitz Parks. It  is so challenging for people to cross Beach Drive at that point where there is low visibility with the curvy road and heavy traffic of (often speeding vehicles) and bikes.

Local TV network takes notice of Beach Drive’s community safety efforts

Komo 4 just aired a piece on how involvement by the local community helped create a safer park on Beach Drive. You can see one of the most active community members walking their dog Tazi in the news video…

 

BDB gives a big hat tip to everyone involved in working with the various public agencies in making these safety changes. The additional L.E.D. lighting may not deter all the criminal activity taking place in the park's lower section but it definetly gives an innocent walker-by a chance to see "what's up" before heading down there!

I walked down there the other night and was impressed how the three L.E.D. lights give just the right amount of illumination. There were some fears that the area would be too lit and ruin any ambiance the lower park offers. 

The next anticipated change will be a sign noting the park's closing hours.  

Scupper, reporting for Beach Drive Blog 

Me Kwa Mooks Illuminated at Night

Lights at West Seattle's Me Kwa Mooks

Photo compliments of Patrick Robinson of West Seattle Herald

Lights installed at Me Kwa Mooks/Emma Schmitz Park

Lights have been installed to help improve safety at Emma Schmitz/Me Kwa Mooks Park. This will help illuminate the lower park along the water which has very little visibility from the street.  The lights have been added to existing light poles.

 

BeforeAfter

photo on left is before the additional light was added

 

This is the area where Greggette Guy may have been murdered earlier this year.  

IMG_0753

Many Beach Drive neighbors and others who typically walk this area are familiar with seeing grafiti and other crimes take place in this section of the park.  

IMG_0756

Let's hope shedding some light in this secluded area helps to make this park a safer place for all.

IMG_0750

The addition of lights to this area of Beach Drive is one of the recommendations from the community safety walk that took place at the beginning of this month. Hat tip to Tazi's human for sharing this tip with us.