CARNATION, Wash. — The Mayor of Carnation met with representatives from Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office to advocate for Carnation residents and discuss the Tolt Dam warning system on Friday.
The City of Seattle operates the dam and if it fails, flooding would cause catastrophic damage to Carnation and force a city-wide evacuation.
Recently, the dam’s early warning system has been malfunctioning, causing it to go off unnecessarily and cause widespread panic.
After 60 years of bearing the risks, the City of Carnation is demanding benefits for their community.
“The time for excuses and explanations is over,” said Carnation Mayor Jim Ribail. “Carnation wants to see outcomes.”
The City of Carnation is demanding annual compensation attached to the risks associated with living below the dam.
Benefits include funding for environmental sustainability, access to mental health resources, road infrastructure to facilitate evacuation, and funding for emergency operations.
After the meeting City Manager Cortez said that Mayor Harrell’s office was “open and receptive to hearing Carnation’s concerns.”
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