Is that bare pavement I see?! (I really hope so anyway, speaking as parent whose kid has the worst case of cabin fever!) This transition period from snow to slush to rain is going to be ugly, I dare say. Prepare for a sloppy, dirty, wet mess with its own set of problems in the coming days.
While the rain/snow accumulations may be varied, it’s no doubt that the “great melt off of 2019” will be happening, like it or not. The City of Edmonds Public Works staff will be monitoring the impending thaw and as usual have staff on standby.
While typically these warming trends don’t usually trigger additional concerns, the sheer amount of frozen precipitation that fell this wintery week has us thinking otherwise. It really won’t be long before leaves and nasty un-melted sand clumps will have overwhelmed the inlets to our storm drains. These clogged drains will negatively impact how the rainfall and melted snow discharges and in short order will quickly cause residential flooding and unsafe driving conditions.
So I ask you, the good people of Edmonds, to now help out our public works crews (and your fellow neighbors, for that matter) who have been living off coffee like functional snow zombies after heroically plowing nonstop throughout this event. It’s now time to begin turning your attention to monitoring and clearing off the storm drains.
Edmonds residents can to help mitigate the potential of residential flooding by keeping drains, gutters and ditches along your property clean and clear. If your neighborhood storm drain is clogged with slow-melting ice, leaves or debris, a rake or broom is a handy tool to quickly reach the blockages and alleviate any pooling.
For additional flooding concerns, or if you are not able to safely clear a storm drain, please call Edmonds Public Works at 425-771-0235. Crews respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Thank you and stay safe out there,
— Patrick Johnson, City of Edmonds stormwater technician
After just spending about an hour of clearing a path for all the ice-dammed water at our 2 intersections, I can say it is very satisfying to see all that water go shooting down to the drains along the curb. The biggest trick was finding the drains – is there a map of where the drains are located?
This web map can be used to locate stormwater catch basins and manholes near you by selecting the ‘stormwater’ layer and zooming into your neighborhood.
http://maps.edmondswa.gov/Html5Viewer/?viewer=Edmonds.html
Thanks, this is very helpful and I’m pleased that my neighbor and I got all of our drains cleared.
Thank you Susan (and your neighbor!) for taking such a proactive approach. Much appreciated.
I’ve got one at the end of my driveway that I have to keep clear so our cul-de-sac doesn’t become a small lake. I’ll be keeping a close eye on it.