Winter Storm Ready
Weather in the Pacific Northwest can be tricky to navigate. That "mostly sunny" winter day can easily turn into a downpour, or even a slushy snowstorm with short notice, which is why we've created this Winter Storm Ready information page. The City has consolidated the information residents, business owners, and visitors need to safely navigate Mercer Island throughout winter storm season.
FOR CURRENT UPDATES, SCROLL DOWN TO THE INFORMATION & UPDATES TAB BELOW.
Please call Puget Sound Energy (PSE) at 1-888-225-5773 to report outages and learn about service restoration or view PSE's outage map with estimated power restoration times at www.pse.com/outage/outage-map. For more information, see Power Outages. |
Excessive Rain and Increased Landslide Risk Landslides develop during intense rainfall, runoff, or rapid snowmelt. Mercer Island sees about 5-15 slides each year. To report a non-life-threatening landslide, call our non-emergency 24-hour dispatch center (425) 577-5656. In the case of an emergency call 9-1-1. Visit Landslide Safety for more information. |
The City provides sanding, plowing, and de-icing services on public streets, in order of priority (private streets are not maintained or plowed by the City). Crews also may apply a pre-treatment of liquid deicer (see map) to arterials located on steep hills and major intersections. Click here for information on the City's Snow and Ice Response Plan. |
Your Resource for Up-to-Date Information and Safety Tips
During a major winter weather event, this page will be updated regularly with road closures/openings, safety tips, and more.
You can easily report things needing the City’s attention online. If you spot clogged stormwater drains, downed trees, icy roads, or anything else, let City Staff know using MI-Connect. This tool allows residents to report and track non-emergency issues through the City’s website or by using a smartphone app.
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Understanding Regional Flooding and Increased Landslide Risk
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Heavy rain not only causes river flooding, but the saturated ground can lead to an increased threat of landslides.
It is important to know how to recognize the warning signs of a landslide and how to respond if a landslide should occur.
Recognize the Warning Signs
Fast-moving landslides:
- Listen and watch for rushing water, mud, and unusual sounds like trees cracking or boulders knocking together.
- A faint rumbling sound that increases in volume is noticeable as the landslide nears.
- Moving fences, retaining walls, utility poles, k-rails, boulders, or trees.
Slow-moving landslides:- Changes occur in your landscape such as patterns of storm-water drainage on slopes (especially the places where runoff water converges), land movement, small slides, flows, or progressively leaning trees.
- Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.
- New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick, or foundations.
- Outside walls, walks, or stairs begin pulling away from the building.
- Slowly developing, widening cracks appear on the ground or on paved areas such as streets or driveways.
- Bulging ground appears at the base of a slope.
- Water breaks through the ground surface in new locations.
- Fences, retaining walls, utility poles, or trees tilt or move.
- The ground slopes downward in one direction and may begin shifting in that direction under your feet.
- Underground utility lines break.
To report a non-life-threatening landslide, call our regional, non-emergency dispatch center (425) 577-5656, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.In the case of an emergency always call 9-1-1.For more information, check out the Landslide Safety article on Let's Talk or visit ready.gov.Stay safe and follow road signs that warn you about water over roadways! Remember, just six inches of moving water can knock a person down and one foot of moving water can sweep away a vehicle. -
Avoid Water Covered Roads
Share Avoid Water Covered Roads on Facebook Share Avoid Water Covered Roads on Twitter Share Avoid Water Covered Roads on Linkedin Email Avoid Water Covered Roads linkDid you know that six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away?
Just a few inches can make the difference between crossing the street or getting stuck in the mud.
Don't take that chance!
If you see water over the roadway, turn around.
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Landslide Safety
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Mercer Island can be prone to natural hazards including flooding and landslides.To report a non-life-threatening landslide, call our regional, non-emergency dispatch center (425) 577-5656, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the case of an emergency always call 9-1-1.
What is a Landslide?
Landslides develop during intense rainfall, runoff, or rapid snowmelt, changing the earth into a flowing river of mud. They can flow rapidly, striking with little or no warning at avalanche speeds (faster than a person can run). In a landslide, masses of rock, earth or debris move down a slope. Debris and mud flows are rivers of rock, earth, and other debris saturated with water. Landslides can travel many miles from their source, growing in size as they pick up trees, boulders, cars and other materials. Debris flows don’t always stay in stream channels and they can flow sideways as well as downhill.
Recognize the Warning Signs
Fast-moving landslides and debris flows pose threats to life. Warning signs include:
- Listen and watch for rushing water, mud, unusual sounds.
- Unusual sounds, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together, might indicate moving debris.
- A faint rumbling sound that increases in volume is noticeable as the landslide nears.
- Fences, retaining walls, utility poles, k-rails, boulders, or trees move.
- Huge boulders in the landscape can be signs of past debris flows.
Slow-moving landslides pose threats to property. Warning signs include:
- Changes occur in your landscape such as patterns of storm-water drainage on slopes (especially the places where runoff water converges) land movement, small slides, flows, or progressively leaning trees.
- Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.
- New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick, or foundations.
- Outside walls, walks, or stairs begin pulling away from the building.
- Slowly developing, widening cracks appear on the ground or on paved areas such as streets or driveways.
- Underground utility lines break.
- Bulging ground appears at the base of a slope.
- Water breaks through the ground surface in new locations.
- Fences, retaining walls, utility poles, or trees tilt or move.
- The ground slopes downward in one direction and may begin shifting in that direction under your feet.
City Response
As soon as the City learns of such an event, the City's Building Official travels directly to the affected site to assess the damage firsthand, and determine whether the buildings involved are still safe for occupancy. Unsafe buildings are "red-tagged" and may not be occupied until cleared by a geo-technical engineer, hired by the owner. You can help by making sure storm drains are clear in your neighborhood to help rain water flow away.
More InformationThe City has consolidated links to more information, landslide hazard maps, and more. Click the links below for more information.- Click here for a City informational handout on landslides and Mercer Island.
- Click here to view the City's landslide hazard map.
- Click here to view the USGS local website monitoring current rainfall and forecasting landslide potential.
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Click here for a factsheet on how landslides occur from the State's Geologic Hazards Program.
- Click here for information on how to prepare for disasters and landslides from FEMA.
Updated 1/6/2022
Photos
Links
Who's listening
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Chief of Operations
Phone 206-275-7608 Email publicworks@mercerisland.gov -
ROW Operations Manager
Phone 206-275-7608 Email publicworks@mercerisland.gov -
Emergency Manager
AKPhone 206-275-7905 Email emergencymanagement@mercerisland.gov
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