Once upon a time a dam was built and named for Seattle attorney and state legislator Howard A. Hanson, who heavily encouraged the dam be built. The Green River Valley was prone to flooding every year, the dam brought relief to the farmers in the valley. Once the valley was dry (mostly) farmlands gave way to a sea of warehouses, industrial plants, condominiums, and shopping centers. This is where I work, right on the river. It really is pretty.
Today the Howard Hanson Dam has issues. The land on the right side of the dam is starting to give way. This means the dam cannot hold as much water as when it's healthy. The Army Corp of Engineers will be releasing water during heavy periods of rain to relieve pressure on the dam. The possibility of flooding along the river is very high, in fact they are telling us to expect it.
I have spent the past two weeks preparing, as much as possible, our office for flooding. The computers are off the floor, shelves and cupboards have been emptied up to about 20 inches, power strips are off the floor. Today I will be typing up emergency plans to be posted in each office, so if we have warning there are a few things we can do to prepare.
The fear of the unknown has my boss and I stressed. How much water will come in? How often will it flood before the dam is fixed? Should we pull the carpet up and make do with the concrete floor? How much time will we have to be shut down? For the first time flood insurance has been purchased.
I'm hoping for a drier than normal winter! *crosses fingers*
Our tech consultant asked me if we were ready. I assured him that flooding was expected only in King County. Many folks are putting servers and work stations off site so they can work remotely should it actually flood.
Posted by: asthmagirl | October 27, 2009 at 06:37 AM
Good Lord, that is a scary thought. But I guess the dam giving way is WAY scarier!
Posted by: The Incredible Woody | October 27, 2009 at 06:49 AM
AT least you have been warned about the flooding and can take precautions.
Posted by: Julie | October 27, 2009 at 07:57 AM
I'm crossing my fingers for you all. Good luck!!
Posted by: Lisa | October 27, 2009 at 08:27 AM
At least you are as prepared as you can be. And that's the best you can do. For your sake I hope it doesn't flood TOO badly.
Posted by: Meg | October 27, 2009 at 08:31 AM
Yikes. That sounds more than a little scary. Hope it doesn't get too bad.
Posted by: Mental P Mama | October 27, 2009 at 09:07 AM
What a scary thought! You'd think the government would keep up with these things when lives are at stake! Fingers crossed for you.
Posted by: Tracey | October 27, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Let's hope the dam holds and your fears will be just thoughts.
Posted by: deb | October 27, 2009 at 11:13 AM
That does sound stressful. It's hard to imagine the chaos of a flood in such a peaceful, bucolic looking place, but I know how fast that can change.
I hope it all turns out to be a very small molehill.
Posted by: Robin from Israel | October 27, 2009 at 12:12 PM
That picture is just stunning! Sorry to hear about all the stress, but I hope it all turns out well...
Posted by: Liz C. | October 27, 2009 at 12:39 PM
I wish they could give us more concrete information. Today I heard, on the news, at least six feet at Kent Station and a 1 in 2 chance of it happening. That is frightening for so many people and the stress it induces in more than I can comprehend. Best wishes for your safety...jj
Posted by: joanne | October 27, 2009 at 11:37 PM