More than three inches of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours — pushing the Seattle area well over the landslide threshold. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) said the saturated soil means reduced soil stability and a greatly increased chance of landslides. If a landslide damages your property and you have an immediate concern for […] More than three inches of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours — pushing the Seattle area well over the landslide threshold. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) said the saturated soil means reduced soil stability and a greatly increased chance of landslides.
If a landslide damages your property and you have an immediate concern for your safety, leave the premises and call 9-1-1. Seattle property owners with structures that may be affected by or endangered by a landslide should contact a geotechnical professional for structural evaluation.
For more information about Seattle landslides or the City of Seattle free landslide awareness meeting, please visit: www.seattle.gov/dpd/emergency/landslides
Here is a short list of measures that can be taken to help protect yourself and your property from landslides:
· Inspect sloping areas for indications of slope movement (such as cracks in the ground, and newly tilting trees) and erosion.
· Check downspouts, to make sure they are functioning and routed to a safe location.
· Be sure that your irrigation system is shut off.
· Keep fill and yard waste off slopes.
To view the current conditions of the USGS rainfall threshold for landslides, please visit: http://landslides.usgs.gov/monitoring/seattle/rtd/plot.php.
For general storm preparedness information, please visit www.takewinterbystorm.org.
In addition to providing a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in the Seattle metropolitan area, SPU provides essential sewer, drainage, solid waste and engineering services that safeguard public health, maintain the City’s infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region’s environmental resources.