SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — After the heavy snow on Thursday and rain on Friday, snowmelt is making a mess around Spokane neighborhoods.
City Wastewater Management crews are working to clear snow away from storm drains, but many of these teams are assisting with snow removal in residential areas.
The Spokane National Weather Service (NWS) reported above freezing temperatures and windy conditions are expected for Friday, which will result in melting snow and the possibility of some hydrological impacts.
Residents need to be prepared ahead of time to prevent flooding damages to their homes or business.
According to a press release from the City of Spokane, there are about 12,000 storm drains in the City and crews won’t be able to get to each one.
Here are some simple steps that residents can follow to prevent flooding damage:
- Clean snow around drains to provide an easier path for excess water close to their houses and businesses.
- Keep streets passable for cars and pedestrians
- Don't drive through a flooded intersection or street around your neighborhood, as your car could stall.
- Report authorities of any flooding or standing water by calling 509-625-7900.
If you don’t know where the closest storm drain to your house or business is located, you can use MapSpokane to find out the drains' locations.
Here are the steps to find your storm drain:
- Go to the map.
- Click on Search in the top left corner.
- Put your address into the Search tool so the map zooms into it.
- Go to the layers icon in the top right corner and click Utilities.
- Select Stormwater, then select Stormwater Inlet
- Green lines should appear on the map that shows the location of stormwater infrastructure.
- The small squares depict the storm drains or catch basins.
