Back in Seattle (oooops, I mean Kent)
I lived in Seattle since 1992. A year and a half ago, I moved to Kent, a small town about 20 or 30 miles outside of Seattle. The rents are cheaper there. But it's hard sometimes to remember that I'm not in Seattle anymore. I tend to think of Kent as being a part of Seattle, and it's not.
We are worried about flooding now. Apparently the Green River is nearby. There is a dam on that river which is getting old and decrepit. It's called the Howard Hansen dam. If there is a lot of rain this winter, they will have to let more water out than usual, to prevent the damn from breaking. But this could cause flooding. If they don't let extra water out, the dam could break and then the floods would be worse. It's going to take several years to fix what's wrong with the dam. This means the Kent valley could flood this winter, and in the years to follow as well. Not fun. Lots of evacuations.
I am better off than most of the people who live in Kent. I live up on a hill, about 4/5 of the way up. Plus my apartment is on the third floor. So I'm not likely to be flooded out. But I might still have to evacuate. There are secondary disasters in these scenarios. In this case that means power outages, sewer back ups, and contaminated tap water. Any of these things will make me evacuate.
When I go to community meetings where these things are discussed, it makes me wish that I'd moved to Kenmore instead. (Kenmore is a small town just north of Seattle.)
Yesterday when I was driving in my car, I saw signs that said "Evacuation Route," with arrows pointing to where people should go. Those signs weren't there the last time I'd driven on this street. The mayor of Kent is active in disaster preparedness. Maybe that's why these signs are going up early, before the winter hits.
Does it seem out of place to talk about an impending disaster and then show you a doll advertisement? Buy a twin doll (or some candy, or Starbucks) advertised here, if you want to help me financially.
We are worried about flooding now. Apparently the Green River is nearby. There is a dam on that river which is getting old and decrepit. It's called the Howard Hansen dam. If there is a lot of rain this winter, they will have to let more water out than usual, to prevent the damn from breaking. But this could cause flooding. If they don't let extra water out, the dam could break and then the floods would be worse. It's going to take several years to fix what's wrong with the dam. This means the Kent valley could flood this winter, and in the years to follow as well. Not fun. Lots of evacuations.
I am better off than most of the people who live in Kent. I live up on a hill, about 4/5 of the way up. Plus my apartment is on the third floor. So I'm not likely to be flooded out. But I might still have to evacuate. There are secondary disasters in these scenarios. In this case that means power outages, sewer back ups, and contaminated tap water. Any of these things will make me evacuate.
When I go to community meetings where these things are discussed, it makes me wish that I'd moved to Kenmore instead. (Kenmore is a small town just north of Seattle.)
Yesterday when I was driving in my car, I saw signs that said "Evacuation Route," with arrows pointing to where people should go. Those signs weren't there the last time I'd driven on this street. The mayor of Kent is active in disaster preparedness. Maybe that's why these signs are going up early, before the winter hits.
Does it seem out of place to talk about an impending disaster and then show you a doll advertisement? Buy a twin doll (or some candy, or Starbucks) advertised here, if you want to help me financially.
Posted by Ceecee at 10/26/2009 1:56 AM 
Categories: Seattle, flooding, Kent Washington
Tags: Seattle flooding Kent Washington
Categories: Seattle, flooding, Kent Washington
Tags: Seattle flooding Kent Washington
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