Wet and windy weather rolls through Puget Sound

Rain causes landslide and saturated soils; East Mercer Way closed again.

Update: In a repeat of yesterday morning, the gusty winds and saturated soils have led to another blowdown where a fallen tree is wrapped up in powerlines.

As a result, East Mercer Way is closed in both directions at the 5600 block. City crews are onsite. PSE is responding, but no re-opening time is available yet.

The landslide yesterday led to the evacuation of three homes until geotechnical engineering assessments are complete. Make sure storm drains in your neighborhood are not blocked, and consider safely checking steep slopes around your property.

 

More than 1,000 Islanders were out of power this morning and fallen trees in powerlines blocked both directions of East Mercer Way at 4300 and 6000 blocks as heavy rain, wind and lightning blew through the area.

City crews are onsite at East Mercer, and the Island’s energy provider, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) was en route.

To view the PSE outage map and information on restoration times, see http://tinyurl.com/jwrunup. The PSE Phone Number is 1-888-225-5773.

According to a city update, there is a lot of standing water around the region, so allow extra time for morning commutes.

Minor mudslides on the Island may also have limited traffic impacts. A landslide was reported at the 9400 block of S.E. 47th Street.

For the fourth time since Halloween, King County has had to activate the Flood Warning Center, according to the King County Executive’s office.