KPLU Local News
(2009-07-08)
Listen Now:
null
Dam Safety Officer, Geologists, Geo-Tech, Soil Scientists all attend an investigation excavation.
USACE
The delegation from Fargo is explaining how they coordinated 100,000 volunteers on short notice last January, to lay sandbags along 40 miles of dikes. And, how they evacuated seniors and other vulnerable populations. This all has fresh urgency because of a new flood threat in south King County.
A half century ago, annual floods in Auburn, Kent, Renton, and Tukwila became a thing of the past, following construction of the Howard Hanson Dam and a series of levees. Tukwila public works director Jim Morrow says the system has "done a wonderful job in controlling the flows in the Green River, such that there has not been since 1959 any significant flooding." Because of that, he says, we've lost our collective memory that thousands of people live, work, and pass through a flood plain.
The dam is under repair, after sustaining damage last winter. It still works, but it can't hold back as much water. That means if we face record rainfall again this year, 15,000 suburban homes and many businesses in the valley could get their first ever taste of flooding.
"We're not in panic mode," but we need to plan ahead, says Morrow, who also plays a lead role in a King County flood preparedness working group. Talks have begun with Boeing, Qwest, Puget Sound Energy and other businesses with a major presence in the flood zone to make contingency plans. Homeowners are urged to buy flood insurance.
If water does have to be released suddenly from Howard Hanson Dam, residents and workers along the lower Green River will get a warning of about seven hours. That's an improvement, because previous alerts depended on a gauge located 30 miles downstream, in Auburn.
For updates on Green River Flood Planning, visit this website.
© Copyright 2012, KPLU
