Even higher water in Sumner | Sumner Mayor Update
Published 10:40 am Friday, December 11, 2015
The following is written by Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow:
Four! This week marks the fourth major storm in six weeks, and winter is still officially two weeks away. City employees were busy through the night monitoring rivers and roadways.Thankfully, the rivers did not flood residential areas althoughsome parking lots and part of our Sumner Link Trail went underwater. Here’s the update so far:
- Forest Canyon Rd remains closed for extensive road repairs; water and debris caused significant damage to that roadway.
- The Sumner Link Trail is also closed due to flooding.
- The West Valley Highway is back open thanks to City crews who worked hard to remove a large tree that fell over the road.
There are more storms coming in this week, but none that threaten flooded rivers again. Whyare these storms less likely to cause river flooding? River elevation is dependent on a number of factors during these storms. Our rivers rise most when melting snow is combined withrainfall. But we also have to track tides and dam releases. The upcoming storms will be colder even though they might mean more rain. However, more rain brings other dangers. With the ground already saturated, there is the increased potential for falling trees or mudslides.
All the experts are telling us to prepare for a winter that promises more storms. Please check your own preparedness supplies at home, making sure you have food, medicines and (operating) flashlights. Please take a moment to review alternate routes between your work and home so that you don’t panic when a road gets blocked during the commute. And please join me in thanking our crews, police, fire and really all City staff who pitched in to help all the rest of us stay safe and get on our way as quickly as possible.
Photos of this week’s storm damage in Sumner
