EVERETT — Problems caused by heavy rainfall Monday night mucked up Tuesday-morning routines across north Everett.
Classes were cancelled at Everett High School, some city stormwater pipes broke and basements were filled with water in some neighborhoods after about 4 inches of rain fell within in a few hours. West Marine View Drive also was closed briefly Monday evening, due to flooding.
On Tuesday, the school campus was mostly empty around 9 a.m. Signs posted on the front doors told visitors that school was closed.
Classes were to resume Wednesday with regular hours.
Signs posted at Everett High School on Tuesday morning said “No school at Everett High today, due to flooding.” (Stephanie Davey / The Herald)
Water poured into the school through floor drains, said Kathy Reeves, a spokesperson for the district.
Five of seven buildings flooded, including the gymnasium. Water seeped into the hallways, storage areas, a weight room and the locker rooms, but did not damage the wooden basketball court.
Music rooms, first-floor classrooms, the stage in the performing arts center and parts of the little theater also were affected.
Reeves couldn’t recall another time when north Everett schools closed because of flooding. It’s not clear yet how much the damage will cost to repair.
Whittier and Hawthorne elementary schools also had water in a few classrooms and an office. It was cleaned the same day and did not affect student schedules.
In the rest of north Everett, large puddles filled the streets within minutes of the downpour.
Monday’s showers produced enough rain to be considered a 100-year storm, said Kimberley Cline, spokesperson for the city.
“Our crews were up all night responding,” she said.
Gauges along Grand Avenue recorded more than 1.8 inches of rainfall within an hour early in the afternoon.
Later, starting at 6 p.m., another inch fell within 30 minutes. At least half an inch more accumulated by 8 p.m.
All that water caused three stormwater pipes to burst. Each of those fixes costs between $3,000 and $7,000, said Kathleen Baxter, a spokesperson for the city public works department.
The broken pipes likely contributed to the flooding on West Marine View Drive. Sewer and other systems were not affected, Baxter said.
It seems that north Everett was hit harder than other parts of the city. The city believes about 20 blocks were impacted by flooding.
“Some got none or very little,” Baxter said.
Parts of Marysville also saw heavy rain, but not as much as its southern neighbor. The only possible damage was to an old culvert on First Street, but it needed to be replaced anyway, said Connie Mennie, a spokesperson for the city.
Monday’s rainfall was about four times higher than that of a 2013 storm in Everett, a downpour that spurred plans for better stormwater management.
One of those ideas was the pedestrian bridge along Grand Avenue, that’s scheduled to be placed later this month. Pipes inside will move water off streets above Marine View Drive, and away from that main drag.
Rain started to makes its way into homes around 6 p.m. Monday.
North Everett saw flooding after a surge of rain fell around 6 p.m. Monday. As the rain overtook the stormwater basins in the Northwest Neighborhood, the sewer overflow spilled into some homes, including this one at 14th Street and Oakes Avenue. (Erin Davidson)
That’s when Eli Davidson began to notice water coming into his basement, in the Northwest Neighborhood. His back yard began to look like a lake.
“In about 20 minutes my basement went from no water to three feet of water, that quickly,” he said.
He and his wife have lived there for about three years. He’s had flooding before, but not like this.
The couple’s losses include a furnace, washer, dryer and a fridge filled with milk for their 1-month-old baby.
“Virtually everything you think to store in a basement is ruined,” he said.
Their insurance won’t cover the damage. They’ve reached out to the city.
More than an inch of rain was measured in one hour, causing swamping of back yards like this one in the Northwest Neighborhood. (Erin Davidson)
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
Report issues
The city of Everett has a 24-hour line for reporting public works problems, including those relating to water, sewer and roads. The number is 425-257-8821.
Service requests also are accepted through the public works website. The city encourages property owners with flood damage to file claims for damages as quickly as possible. State law requires that step before reimbursement can be considered.
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