Fixes coming to hundreds of vandalized Green River sandbags
KENT, Wash. -- Vandals damaged the one thing standing between thousands of area homes and a rising river, but there's a mission to fix that 25 mile line of defense before flood season begins.
The flood barrier is weighted down with whatever it takes, protected with plastic, and any weak spot is stepped on for security. It's all part of King County's plan to help keep the Green River at bay during the rainy season. And with already the fourth wettest September on record, there's a solid chance it will be needed.
"In fact, we're putting a greater than 70 percent chance that this fall going into early winter will end up wetter than normal," said Brad Coleman with the National Weather Service. "That's a pretty confident seasonal forecast and people should pay attention to it."
But the sandbags positioned atop the levies as a critical front line in the flood fight for the winter have already came under attack. Of the 40,000 or so sandbags that line the Green River, about 500 of them need repair due to arson and vandalism.
"It takes a couple seconds for them to slash the bag and it takes us a long time to replace it," said Michelle Manza.
But now these damaged bags are getting top notch triage thanks to the Washington Conservation Corps. The bags should be patched or replaced altogether by mid October.
"They're here to protect these homes," Manza said.
In fact, 175,000 homes and businesses in the the Green River Valley count on each bag, in fear that La Nina will not be a gentle lady.
If we get two storms too close together, water could be released to reduce pressure on the damaged Howard Hanson Dam. The Army Corps of Engineers says a major flood along the Green River could cause almost $4 billion in damage. A series of repairs this year mean engineers have increased confidence the dam will hold, and $44 million from the federal government could lead to a permanent fix, but it could take two years to complete.
So for now, these serious steps are in place, just in case.
The flood barrier is weighted down with whatever it takes, protected with plastic, and any weak spot is stepped on for security. It's all part of King County's plan to help keep the Green River at bay during the rainy season. And with already the fourth wettest September on record, there's a solid chance it will be needed.
"In fact, we're putting a greater than 70 percent chance that this fall going into early winter will end up wetter than normal," said Brad Coleman with the National Weather Service. "That's a pretty confident seasonal forecast and people should pay attention to it."
But the sandbags positioned atop the levies as a critical front line in the flood fight for the winter have already came under attack. Of the 40,000 or so sandbags that line the Green River, about 500 of them need repair due to arson and vandalism.
"It takes a couple seconds for them to slash the bag and it takes us a long time to replace it," said Michelle Manza.
But now these damaged bags are getting top notch triage thanks to the Washington Conservation Corps. The bags should be patched or replaced altogether by mid October.
"They're here to protect these homes," Manza said.
In fact, 175,000 homes and businesses in the the Green River Valley count on each bag, in fear that La Nina will not be a gentle lady.
If we get two storms too close together, water could be released to reduce pressure on the damaged Howard Hanson Dam. The Army Corps of Engineers says a major flood along the Green River could cause almost $4 billion in damage. A series of repairs this year mean engineers have increased confidence the dam will hold, and $44 million from the federal government could lead to a permanent fix, but it could take two years to complete.
So for now, these serious steps are in place, just in case.
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