Let’s Be Rainy Day Ready Together!

Everyone has different ways they adapt for Seattle's rainy and dark winters. Most people have their favorites─ like a raincoat, good books, and/or coffee. Did we mention coffee?

At Seattle Public Utilities, we hope you will add just a few more items to your Rainy Day Ready checklist. Flooding is more common from October through April because of higher tides and heavy rains. We are prepared to respond it potential issues and hope you will be too.

Rainy Day Ready - Four key steps

1. Sign up for Alert Seattle
   AlertSeattle is the City of Seattle's official emergency alert system. Sign-up to receive texts, email, and/or phone alerts about all kinds of emergencies in Seattle.
   
2. Practice storm drain care
   Leaves and debris on storm drains can cause flooding. Watch this short video to learn how to clear a drain at SPU's Storm Drain Care page for more details. You can help us make sure rain can drain!
   
3. Prepare for emergencies
   Learn more about flood safety in Seattle and how to be prepared for emergencies.
   
4. Know who to call for help
   Always call 911 for life and safety emergencies. Call our 24/7 Operations Response Center at (206) 386-1800 if you see:

• Urgent flooding
• A blocked culvert of creek
• A sewer overflow or backup
• A pollution spill

Extra Yard Waste Collection

Household food and yard waste customers can set out up to 10 extra bags of leaves each collection day in November for no additional charge. Please put extra yard waste (no food) into a paper or compostable lawn and leaf bag (not plastic) or a reusable container with a lid. Please do not put leaves and other yard waste in plastic bags. Composting your yard leaves keeps them from blocking storm drains and/or building up in the stormwater system.

This winter's highest tides

Heavy rain and high tides can increase flooding risks-especially along the Duwamish and Puget Sound. High tides are predicted:

• November 14-19, 2024
• December 10-19, 2024
• January 1-8, 2025
• January 13-16, 2025
• January 30 - February 4, 2025

If you live in South Park, please sign up for our South Park flooding preparedness notifications and visit our South Park Flooding website to learn more about flooding preparedness and response.

We post updates on here when we are responding to major inclement weather events. And- as always - thank you for driving slowly near our crews.