Adopt a storm drain, Seattle residents urged

There's a big sign in black ink above the telephone at Jay Turner's golf store on Beacon Avenue South.

It's the phone number for the city's storm-drain crew and it's a number Turner has called many, many times.

The storm drain outside his store is the worst in Seattle. Crews have been called there 23 times since 2006.

Turner has been in business 24 years and, like clockwork, the leaves fall off the huge maples outside his shop, the rain starts to fall, the storm drain clogs and the flood begins.

In the huge storm in December 2006, Turner had a foot and a half of water in his store and $30,000 in damages. Even moderate flooding will cover the crosswalk outside.

But Turner has nothing but praise for the city's drain cleaners. "My hat is off to them," he said.

The city used the Beacon Avenue storm drain Monday to launch the latest effort in its mission to recruit neighborhood volunteers to keep the drains clog-free. There are 80,000 storm drains in Seattle, said Carrie Parker, the city's drainage and wastewater manager; about 1,000 have been adopted.

The Beacon Avenue storm drain, she said, has cost the city almost $4,000 since 2006 to keep it flowing.

By Oct. 1 each year, all the storm drains have been cleaned, said Andy Ryan, spokesman with Seattle Public Utilities. But with one storm, combined with falling leaves, the phone lines light up with complaints about clogged drains.

The city doesn't have enough crews to respond to all the emergency calls during a big autumn storm.

Several business owners along Beacon Avenue, along with Turner, volunteer to rake the leaves and keep their street clean. But it's a tough job, particularly during heavy rains like the storms over the weekend.

The problem with Beacon Avenue is not just the maple trees, but the natural depression in the road at the bottom of a long hill that causes water to back up.

"The leaves plug up the inlet pipe and overwhelm the drain," said Parker.

Ryan said a recent study found 68 percent of Seattle residents heard messages last year about preparing for winter, but only 49 percent of homeowners rake leaves and debris away from storm drains near their homes to reduce flooding.

The city is working with the organization Take Winter by Storm, a regional campaign to help residents and businesses prepare for bad weather. It's a collaborative effort among King County, Seattle, Puget Sound Energy and State Farm Insurance.

Residents can sign up to adopt a drain by going to the organization's website. Volunteers will be provided free cleanup supplies, including rakes, bags, shovels, brooms and dustpans.

Take Winter by Storm has its own Facebook page and twitter feed.

Over the weekend, the National Weather Service said 2.07 inches of rain fell in the Seattle area. The 1.21 inches Saturday came close to breaking the record 1.27 inches of rain in 1953.

The heavy rain forced closure of part of Vashon Highway from a major mudslide. King County does not know when the road might reopen.

Seattle officials say saturated soil could become a problem in November with an increased risk of slides.

With the onslaught of rainy weather, the city advises to:

• Steer clear of floodwaters; stay out of low-lying areas during heavy rain.

• Keep storm drains clear. Don't put grass clippings, leaves or other debris into drains. If you live at the base of a hill, make sure drainage and retaining walls are in good shape.

• Maintain gutters and downspouts. Twice a year, clean your gutters attached to your roof. Direct downspouts away from the house.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com

Information in this story, published Oct. 11, was corrected Oct. 12. Andy Ryan, a spokesman with Seattle Public Utilities, and Carrie Parker, drainage and wastewater manager for the city of Seattle, were both misidentified.