Flood watch issued, clear your drains

9:45 a.m. update: With a warm, wet storm approaching today, the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the greater Puget Sound region, urging residents to clear storm drains to minimize the risk of urban flooding.

This morning, we noticed this SDOT crew clearing a drain at 51st and 8th Ave.

Most of these drains are packed over with snow and ice. “What people can do at home is, if they have a storm drain that’s out front and they know where its at and they have a shovel or a broom that’s available, they can clear the drain of snow and basically do what we’re doing,” said Carrie Parker, Seattle Public Utilities Dept. To report a drainage problem, call 684-3000, or 386-1800 if there’s a blockage below the street surface. Other tips: clear heavy snow off the side of your house and your back porch so water won’t leak inside.