New storm trouble update thread, 6:15 pm & beyond
Some areas of West Seattle are now into a phase of off-and-on-again outages. We will be in transit for a while and checking things out so leaving this post for an “open thread” on what’s happening where you are.
Wind trouble, ongoing updates
Newest information first: 5:55 PM: The number of people affected by outages in Seattle is starting to drop, so while there’s no definite estimate for when everyone in WS will be back, that’s promising. Watching the barometer suggests the worst is over. 5:30 PM: In addition to the Fauntleroy/California intersection, we saw power out to at least the Seattle International Church vicinity a few blocks south, at last drive-past. 5:26 PM: Comcast cable internet service is out in at least one Upper Fauntleroy neighborhood. 5:18 PM: West Seattle outages on the city list total more than 10,000 homes/businesses. Also — great wave pix up at Beach Drive Blog. 5:00 PM: Power is back on at High Point Community Center. 4:40 PM: Qwest DSL service is reported down in at least one neighborhood near The Junction, though the land-line phones are still working. 4:32 PM: Power is out at the Fauntleroy/California intersection in Morgan Junction. 4:19 PM: Thanks to reader Margelyn for providing the City Light link to the latest outage list. Also, here’s the latest Weather Service “forecast discussion” – analysis to come. 4:14 PM: Update from the City Light hotline, more than 3,300 households/businesses are reported out in various areas of south and east WS; SCL doesn’t know when the power will be restored. 3:59 PM: Adding photo below this post showing tipping power pole that caused the wire trouble on Thistle. Also, report of power out in the High Point Community Center vicinity – activities are still happening but if the power’s not back by dark evening activities might be in jeopardy. 3:50 PM: From reader M, “Stoplights are out starting at Barton & 35th to at least Trenton & 35th (probably further but that is my turn). Arbor Hts Elementary 35th & 104th lost power about 3:15.” 3:25 PM: Reports of tree trouble in The Junction, including one near the Post Office and one in front of Seattle Fish. EARLIER: Washington State Ferries says power is restored at the Fauntleroy dock … City Light has reported various outages on the south side of West Seattle … City 911 reports “wires down” at 4615 SW Thistle, which is just east of Lincoln Park. NOTE: If you have photos of fallen trees or anything else weather-related, please send them in. We will be out and about getting some too, but yours are the best WSB eyes, ears, and cameras!
Wind arrives on cue
At least one Weather Service update predicted 2 pm, and indeed, that’s when things kicked up. You can monitor windspeeds here (includes a link explaining the station names; KBFI is Boeing Field and K91S is Alki Point). One comment on our previous post says there’s power out somewhere near Lincoln Park. Also, we have a storm-related bulletin from elsewhere in south WS: The goats coming to Gatewood Elementary to munch invasive ivy are delaying their arrival till tomorrow because of the weather, but everything should be great for the big highlight event on Saturday.
Calm before the storminess
The “wind advisory” mentioned earlier remains in effect. But for everybody stuck outside West Seattle right now, here are a couple shots from Lowman Beach a little while ago … even a little blue sky through a hole in the clouds to the west:
Show the world you (rock) West Seattle
Remember our bumper-sticker PhotoShop “competition” last week? (Updated here with all the images we received; thanks to everyone who played along!) The “I (rock) West Seattle” version inspired Skylark proprietor Jessie Summa-Kusiak to write to make sure we all know her fab restaurant/club is actually selling hoodies with a similar inscription:
Get ’em at Skylark … “soft and cozy for fall,” notes Jessie … $34.95.
Two updates from police
This per attendees at two major community-group meetings the past two nights (thank you!), West Seattle Community Safety Partnership and Delridge District Council: Police leadership at those meetings said the 59th/Admiral shooting is believed to have been drug-related and that neither suspect nor victim lived in West Seattle (the Medical Examiner, by the way, has yet to publicly identify the victim); also, police reported that crime stats in WS are at a “two-year low.” The Westcrest Park problems were discussed, according to the report we received, but police said at the meetings there is no current plan to change the level of patrol at Westcrest.
Weather update: Relatively good news
The National Weather Service has just published its midmorning “forecast discussion,” and it seems to be in line with the overnight change to a “wind advisory” — this afternoon’s wind in our area likely to be 20-30 mph “sustained” with maybe some 40, 50 mph gusts — not to be taken lightly, but also probably not hugely catastrophic. Excerpt:
THE INTERIOR WILL SEE THE STRONGEST WINDS DURING THE MID AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS 40 TO 50 MPH. ASIDE FROM STRONG WINDS IN THE STRAIT…WILL SEE WINDS DIMINISH ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING …AS THE LOW EXITS THE REGION. THIS SYSTEM IS ALSO BRINGING PRETTY GOOD PRECIP TO THE AREA WITH RAIN…MODERATE AT TIMES…SWITCHING TO SHOWERS DURING THE AFTERNOON.
If you don’t always pay such close attention to weather details … south-to-southwest wind means that west- and south-facing areas of WS (as well as the higher hills) are likely to see more of it than north-facing areas such as Alki.
Happening in maybe-not-so-windblown West Seattle tonight
Good thing it’s sounding more like we won’t just have to hunker down and hide inside tonight (unless the forecast changes again – next update should be out within an hour or so), because there are some big things happening tonight (all from the WSB Events page – keep sending us the word on what’s up with your school, business, organization, community group, etc., thanks!):
GOOD FOOD, GOOD WINE, GREAT CAUSE: 6:30 pm tonight at the Hall at Fauntleroy, it’s the winetasting fundraiser and auction for West Seattle Helpline.
GOOD BEER, GREAT CAUSE: Murphy’s Furniture on Avalon has a benefit tonight for the West Seattle Food Bank — Oktoberfest beer tasting with Elliott Bay Brewery’s brewer talking about the price of hops (almost as hot a topic these days as the price of gas). Brats to go with the beer, too!
INFO NIGHT FOR INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM @ CHIEF SEALTH HS: If you haven’t heard about IB, it’s a rigorous high-school program and CSHS had to go through a lot to get it — this is its first year and the CSHS community is incredibly excited about it. Find out more about IB at Chief Sealth at 7 pm tonight.
ALKI COMMUNITY COUNCIL: Tonight’s the monthly meeting, featuring Q/A with candidates for key open seats on the City Council and School Board. ACC meetings are always great places to find out what’s happening in West Seattle’s highest-profile neighborhood. 7 pm, Alki Community Center.
Now it’s reduced to a “wind advisory”
The National Weather Service has canceled the “high wind watch” and issued a “wind advisory” in its place — the predictions are a little less dire, and the strongest gusts are now expected to be not as strong as first feared:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING. THE HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER MOST OF THE LOWLANDS THIS AFTERNOON RIGHT AHEAD OF THE INCOMING WEATHER SYSTEM. SOUTH WINDS IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH BETWEEN 2 PM AND 8 PM. THE WINDS WILL DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER 11 PM.
According to the accompanying “forecast discussion” from early this morning, the rain might be more worrisome than the wind, at this point, with up to an inch likely in the city today.
New Westcrest worry
Westcrest Park, home to West Seattle’s only off-leash area, got a microburst of attention recently after a tv report about public sex in the park. However, frequent visitors are focusing right now on a different concern — theft. A member of the Westcrest Off-Leash Area Yahoo! group asked us to get the word out about two thefts this week alone. The victim of the first one reported that a man stole her purse out of her car while she was just feet away unloading dogs. The purse contained her cell phone; here’s what she tried a while later:
“I also called my cell phone and the guy answered it. I told him I would be filing a police report with a description of him and his car and the theft and he told me to F off.”
The other theft happened today, according to a note posted by park steward Steve:
“We got hit again this morning, Wednesday, about 10 am. This is getting really ridiculous. I’ve been to the south precinct on Delridge to ask if they could patrol the lot once in a while, but no one was even there. Perhaps others could stop by there to ask as well ..squeaky wheel theory. Once again, I don’t think anyone is looking out for us except for us.”
Wind Watch: Still headed this way
The National Weather Service‘s nighttime “forecast discussion” is online now, and the predictions haven’t changed much. The strongest wind tomorrow is expected out at the (ocean) coast and up Whatcom/Skagit/Whidbey way, but we’re still likely to get gustiness here in the big city. Excerpt, including talk about a second storm to follow:
PLENTY ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR THE CURRENT FORECAST WITH WARNING CRITERIA (GREATER THAN 40 MPH SUSTAINED AND/OR GUSTS 58 MPH OR MORE) OVER THE COAST AND NW INTERIOR. STILL IFFY IF THE CRITERIA WILL BE MET ELSEWHERE…BUT IT WILL BE WINDY REGARDLESS. ENOUGH FOR AN ADVISORY ANYWAY. THE STRONG WINDS WILL LAST THROUGH A LARGE PART OF THE DAY FOR THE COAST…WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OVER THE INTERIOR DURING THE MID AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING…THEN EASING UP INTO THE LATE EVENING HOURS.
ON FRIDAY…ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA WITH PLENTY OF RAIN AND CLOUDS AND CONTINUED COOL TEMPERATURES. WIND WISE…THIS SYSTEM LOOKS A GOOD DEAL WEAKER THAN THE THURSDAY SYSTEM…BUT IT WILL HAVE A DECENT SW BREEZE IN ITS WAKE. THE OFF AND ON WET WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEKEND.
First Ama-Ama review
This comment just in from Garybert on the original “opening this Friday, preview Thursday” post:
Stopped by Ama-Ama around 3:30 to see if we were on their list. Very full for Thurs, but having “Soft Opening†TONITE! Just returned from a great meal with less glitches than a normal experience. Seafood chowder is a great buy.
Mixed Green Salad and Salad with Shrimp are very good. Black cod was cooked perfectly and Monk fish was “interestingâ€Â. No wine yet, but they did have beer. Might be worth checking into to see if there is still more room tonite.
Wind Watch: More info about who’s getting ready and how
First — King County leaders have chimed in, including preparedness advice; read it here. (Helpfully, that page includes this link to more information about food spoilage when your fridge loses power; that was a big point of confusion for us and others during the longterm outage last year.)
Second — the city Transportation Department issued this alert, including a phone number that is worth writing down someplace:
Stormy conditions are forecast for tomorrow’s afternoon commute period. An abundance of leaves brought down by the wind and rain may clog street drains and result in spot flooding. Drivers should use caution and proceed slowly where water has accumulated on the roadway, and should not drive through deep water.
In the event of heavy winds, trees and branches or other debris may fall into the roadway, and power may be lost in some areas. Drivers should be alert for obstacles on the roadway, and treat dark or twisted traffic signals as all-way stops. Blocked roadways, damaged traffic signs or malfunctioning traffic signals within the City of Seattle may be reported to SDOT’s 24-hour Street Maintenance Office at 206.386.1218.
Today SDOT crews readied equipment and supplies to prepare for tomorrow’s forecast of bumpy weather. The crews are ready to clear roads of storm debris, repair damaged traffic signals and signs, and work with other city departments to keep roads open and power on throughout the city.
Just in from Seattle City Light
Press release just out of the inbox. Please note the line about the trees — go check yours if applicable:
With a windstorm expected in the greater Seattle area Thursday evening, Seattle City Light is preparing crews and stocking its trucks to respond to any outages that occur and restore service.
The National Weather Service is forecasting sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts of 40 to 50 mph. The peak of the storm is expected between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Winds of that level are slightly stronger than a typical winter storm in this area. They have the potential to damage the electrical system, causing outages.
One particular concern is trees that were damaged in last December’s major storm but are still standing. Those trees have been weakened and are more susceptible to wind. Also, because many of the trees still hold a majority of their leaves, they act more like a sail in catching the wind, further increasing the risk.
On the good side, soils are not saturated, giving trees more of an anchor. City Light also has trimmed trees along more than 100 miles of power lines this year to provide clearance that helps reduce the likelihood of damage.
Residents are encouraged to take this opportunity to get prepared for winter storms and other emergencies. Three ways you can begin preparing today are to make an emergency plan for your family, build an emergency kit and get involved with your neighbors.
You can learn more at www.seattle.gov/emergency.
Wind Watch: The newest “forecast discussion”
The National Weather Service has just published its latest “forecast discussion,” and it’s still calling for strong winds tomorrow afternoon/evening:
THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE PUGET SOUND AREA WILL OCCUR DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. AS FOR HOW STRONG…IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW TIGHT THE SOUTH TO NORTH PRESSURE GRADIENT IS…WHICH DEPENDS ON THE TRACK OF THIS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES ONSHORE. AT THIS TIME WE ARE EXPECTING SOUTH TO SW WINDS 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH FOR THE INTERIOR.”
West Seattle Gas Price Watch: Suddenly way pumped-up
As the photo montage above shows … many WS stations have suddenly jumped up past 3 bucks a gallon for regular unleaded. (Here’s why.) Fauntleroy/Alaska Shell, for example, has had at least two price hikes in the past day — one to $3-plus by late last night, then up to $3.12 as of first thing this morning. Delridge Arco still has the lowest price but as the photos below show, as of about an hour ago, its signs don’t really agree on what the price actually is (we didn’t stop to check the pumps):
West Seattle Wind Watch: Looks like tomorrow afternoon
From the link we mentioned earlier this morning, where National Weather Service meteorologists elaborate at least twice daily on what they see heading this way, the newest “forecast discussion” is now published, including this excerpt, referring to tomorrow (Thursday): “FOR THE PUGET SOUND AREA…APPEARS THAT THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS AS A STRONG SOUTH TO NORTH PRESSURE GRADIENT DEVELOPS.”
Shoremont mystery
We’ve talked before about the teardown-to-townhouse plan for the 57th/Alki corner (across from Alki Automotive) now mostly occupied by the stately brick Shoremont Apartments (photo above). After WSB reader Fiona e-mailed to point out (thank you!) that the parcel suddenly turned up the other day listed for sale for $2.2 million, we published a post about it half an hour ago – then double checked the listing link – which originally had ad verbiage suggesting the project could proceed OR the apartments could stay (or some combination?) – but that link (as you’ll see if you click it) is suddenly no longer good; sometime in the past 24 hours or so, the listing went away. We’re looking to see if evidence of it is still out there somewhere (that’ll teach us, we need to get screen grabs of everything!), so far can’t find it. Sold, or “never mind”? Fascinating.
High Wind Watch for West Seattle (and beyond)
Unless you moved here after Windstorm 2006 last December, you may be quaking like a leaf in the breeze at the prospect of the High Wind Watch alert just issued this morning — after all, West Seattle got hit the worst in that December-to-remember wallop, with most of us losing electricity for at least a few days. The city promises it will do a better job of getting out information this year regarding when the juice is coming back; crews have also been out for weeks trying to take some preventive action – we saw city tree trimmers along Cali just a few days ago. So get your batteries (laptop too!), your firewood, your blankets, your nonperishable food and drink, and hang on. As for the latest on whether Windstorm ’07 is really on the way, besides the usual collection of basic online forecasts (we like Weather Underground), here’s a great page to watch, with behind-the-scenes talk about what the real experts are seeing: The local National Weather Service “forecast discussion,” updated several times daily.
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