When storms hit | Sumner Mayor Update

This week, we had our third big storm in three weeks. While flooding is a key concern, these storms are bringing more impact to the City than just the potential for high water. We've had high-voltage power lines come down across the East Valley Highway, actually blistering our road.

The following is written by Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow:

This week, we had our third big storm in three weeks. While flooding is a key concern, these storms are bringing more impact to the City than just the potential for high water. We’ve had high-voltage power lines come down across the East Valley Highway, actually blistering our road. We’ve had trees come down in multiple places, one onto the Bridge St. bridge this past week. We’ve had drains clog and back-up, requiring pumping out at all hours of the day…and night. We had a large hole open up this week on Sumner-Tapps, and crews were out patching it.

The City crews have been proactive, hurrying the street sweeper around town before the storm to help keep downed leaves from clogging drains. They’ve been vigilant, patrolling the river and giving it a visual check for flood levels at midnight. In one instance, crews worked sixteen hours straight on emergency after emergency. Police officers have been involved, watching the river and responding to downed trees and lines while still carrying their normal duties as well as working a heavy case load of more serious crimes. Office staff have been watching river predictions day and night, preparing plans for larger scale operations if needed while providing needed support for responders. And then there is the clean up afterwards so the rest of us can get on with our normal lives. In other words, it’s been a busy month, and we’re not even in winter yet.

While we make every effort to responsive to every need, there are a few ways you can help:

Please obey all detour and road closure signs. I assure you that they only put them out when they’re necessary. Our crew actually watched cars ignore two levels of barricades and try to drive into the live high voltage wire, endangering both the driver and workers on the scene.
Please understand no one, not even our amazing crews and officers, can do two things at once. Normal maintenance items may take longer when they’re responding to so many emergency situations.
Thank them. When you see an officer or a public works crew member, or even a City Hall staff member, please thank them for the long days and nights they put in to keep us all safe.
Prepare. Have your own emergency preparedness plans in place for losing power, earthquake, fire or (of course) flood.

Most of all, please stay safe out there. Storms often interrupt our normal traffic flow, our power, or our (gasp) internet! These are times when we can all pull together to, well, weather the storm.