As many of you may have seen in recent news reports, the abutment at the Howard Hanson Dam has been leaking at a rate greater than anyone knew. As of now, the Army Corps of Engineers still does not know what the cause of the increased leakage is or what the final solution to the problem will be. It is pretty clear though that the amount of water that the Corps will be able to hold behind the dam is less than it was just a couple of months ago. It is more important than ever that you have an evacuation plan and flood insurance.
Please don’t panic about these warnings. Serious problems are not likely unless we have a heavy, sustained rain event. So far we’ve had a fairly dry summer, so let’s hope the sun keeps shining.
The Corps will be holding a briefing on July 13th. As soon as I have returned from that meeting, you can expect a follow up newsletter with the information that was presented. In the meantime, information on the King County Flood Warning System can be found here . To get information on flood insurance, go here (www.floodsmart.gov).
As you probably know, we managed to secure $10 million dollars in funding for repair of the Horseshoe Bend levees in Kent. Repairs are being done on low spots and weakened areas of the levees and are scheduled to be completed in October. However, this will not prevent a heavy rain and large release of water from topping the levees, but it will stop a levee failure which could be catastrophic.
A threat will exist until the dam problem is solved. So, if you live in the Auburn, Tukwila or Kent Valley, please be prepared.
Again, expect an update on July 13th after the presentation by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Karen