South Park residents prepare for next round of flooding as many are still displaced from their homes

SEATTLE — Hundreds of sandbags line the Duwamish River shoreline in anticipation of another round of King Tides.

Three weeks ago, Seattle’s South Park neighborhood was submerged in feet of water after the river spilled over its banks. Officials at Seattle Public Utilities say the flooding there was unprecedented.

“In our Dec. 27 event, we had the lowest pressure of the entire year, which created a storm surge,” said Ellen Stewart with SPU.

According to Stewart, SPU surveyed the river last week and identified five low points. Crews have since fortified those with sandbags and other barricades like eco-blocks.

Starting on Jan. 21, crews will be on standby in case sea level rises earlier than expected.

In the meantime, displaced residents like Andy Cenarussa feel helpless. His family has spent the last three weeks living out of a hotel. He’s not sure if it will ever be safe to permanently return home.

“It’s kind of my opinion that this is no longer habitable land,” said Cenarussa. “This is going to continue to get worse.”

While Cenarussa appreciates the emergency response from SPU, he thinks a long-term solution is desperately needed. His neighbor, Emily Lucey, agrees.

“While this river flood is a new event, we’ve had sewage flooding here for the last forty or fifty years,” said Lucey. “The city’s lack of response and lack of infrastructure has led to a lot of houses being run down.”

According to the city, housing will be provided for displaced residents until the end of January.

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