Seattle sweeps up after last storms, readies for next round

City crews were out cleaning stormwater drains and sweeping sand from Seattle streets this week in anticipation of new storms moving in.

There are more than 70,000 storm drains in Seattle and "they should all be in pretty good shape," said Andy Ryan, a spokesman for Seattle Public Utilities.

Last week, when the National Weather Service warned of potential urban flooding, the utility dispatched crews to clear debris from drains, culverts and other drainage infrastructure, Ryan said. But those problems never materialized because snow melted gradually and the area didn't get as much rain as initially forecast.

"We had all these people out ready for a party, and nobody came," Ryan said.

The city has cleaned up about 2 percent of the 9,000 tons of sand it dropped on Seattle streets to help with snow and ice, giving priority to areas prone to flooding.

Six sweepers have been sweeping up sand and dumping it into trucks, which take the material to a landfill in Renton for cleaning and drying for use in later road projects, according to Seattle Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marybeth Turner.

The cleanup is occurring at night, largely because there is less traffic and fewer parked cars, and because day-shift crews and equipment are being used to fill potholes, she said.

A storm front was expected to move into the Puget Sound region Tuesday night. After midnight, winds were expected to pick up to 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, said Art Gaebel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle. A wind advisory is in effect until 7 a.m. today. Showers are forecast for today, with up to 2 feet of snow expected to fall in the Cascades.

Another system is moving into the region late New Year's Day. Though it's still a little early to tell how strong those winds might be, Gaebel said computer models indicate that "it does have the potential to be a pretty good-sized storm."

While utility workers aren't yet overly concerned about flooding later in the week, Ryan said, the city is taking just-in-case precautions. Sixteen trucks — which Ryan described as "giant wet vacs on wheels" — have been dispatched, with half to the north and half to the south of the Ship Canal.

The city also is distributing sandbags at three locations for crews and residents to use as needed. They are:

• The north side of Meadowbrook Pond on 36th Avenue Northeast, south of Northeast 110th Street.

• Northeast 95th Street and Sandpoint Way Northeast.

• Seventh Avenue South, just north of South Cloverdale Street next to Cesar Chavez Park in South Park.

Seattle residents who experience drainage or flooding issues should call the utility's 24-hour Emergency Response Center at 206-386-1800.

Seattle Times staff reporter Susan Kelleher contributed to this report.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com