Seattle Mayor Nickels encourages residents to adopt a neighborhood drain

Watching Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels' news conference Wednesday was like watching water drain.

To demonstrate how leaves can clog up a storm drain, Seattle Public Utilities hosed down a pile of leaves over a drain near Green Lake while Nickels and volunteers raked them away. The mayor is encouraging residents to adopt a neighborhood drain and keep it clear.

"The combination of storms and falling leaves can block drains very, very quickly," he said. "There are some neighborhoods where draining is a nuisance and others where it is downright dangerous."

The utility will provide brooms, rakes, hats and leaf pickup to volunteers who adopt drains in their neighborhood. So far, the city has recruited 200 people to clear 800 drains, out of about 78,000 drains in the city. The utility has inspected all city drains this year, but officials hope volunteers can check them again before future rains.

Two years ago, a woman in Madison Valley died after her basement filled with floodwater. While clearing leaves would not have prevented the accident, it raised awareness about flood prevention.

Nickels, a vocal proponent of addressing climate change, said storm-drain maintenance is a short-term answer to the possibility of permanent weather changes such as wetter winters and more intense storms.

"Long-term, we don't yet know" what effect global warming will have on the city's drainage system, he said. "It's unlikely we'll be able to completely redo the drainage system." The utility instead may target areas of congestion for replacement.

The city recently changed drainage rates to charge ratepayers according to the amount of impermeable surface such as asphalt on their lots. It also changed building codes to encourage the building of green roofs in areas zoned for neighborhood and commercial development.

City officials offered other storm and flood advice to residents:

• Don't rake or blow leaves into the street. The leaves can end up in the storm drain. Instead, dispose of them with yard waste.

• Stay out of the way of floodwaters. For instance, if your basement tends to flood, stay out of the basement until the risk of flooding passes.

• Maintain gutters and downspouts. Clean them twice a year and direct downspouts away from your home.

• Maintain drainage systems. Keep them clear of debris and inspect retaining walls.

• Assess your yard. Make sure the area within 10 feet of your home slopes away from the house. Call a tree trimmer to inspect trees to identify branches that could fall in a strong wind.

• Inspect your roof.

• Keep your distance from downed power lines. They can be reported to Seattle City Light at 206-684-3000.

Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com