Weekend rain soaks Puget Sound and Federal Way | Crews clear mudslide on Dash Point Road

In just over 48 hours, rainfall records around the Puget Sound were shattered.

By Greg Allmain • May 16, 2011 2:40 pm
Residents along Dash Point Road were greeted with a mudslide Saturday as heavy rains overwhelmed the region. The mudslide occurred between 26th Avenue SW and 30th Avenue SW. Washington State Department of Transportation workers were able to clear Dash Point Road by Saturday afternoon.
Residents along Dash Point Road were greeted with a mudslide Saturday as heavy rains overwhelmed the region. The mudslide occurred between 26th Avenue SW and 30th Avenue SW. Washington State Department of Transportation workers were able to clear Dash Point Road by Saturday afternoon.

In just over 48 hours, rainfall records around the Puget Sound were shattered.

At Sea-Tac airport, 0.97 inches were recorded for Saturday, and 0.81 inches fell Sunday. The previous records for May 14 and 15 were 0.53 inches in 2001, and 0.56 inches in 2006, respectively. According to the National Weather Service, Sea-Tac airport has already received 2.60 inches of rain for the month of May — about one and a half times the average total May rainfall of 1.78 inches.

Around the region, the rain came down ceaselessly. Here in Federal Way, the endless barrage of water led to a mudslide on Dash Point Road on Saturday morning. City public works director Marwan Salloum said the mudslide on Dash Point is an unusual occurrence for the area.

“That was a unique situation due to the heavy rain we received (Friday) night,” he said. “The roadway has a drainage system that collects the water, but the ditch was overflowing to the point that the water found another path into a ravine that normally doesn’t receive that water.”

The mudslide occurred between 26th Avenue SW and 30th Avenue SW. Salloum said the water diverting into the ravine caused a tree to break lose, bringing down debris and mud onto Dash Point Road. He said the Washington State Department of Transportation received a call at approximately 9:50 a.m. Saturday and sent crews to the scene. The road was cleared by 1 p.m.

Salloum said he doesn’t expect any other trouble to arise from the rain. He said he spoke with residents in the area where Dash Point Road was affected, and they told him Saturday’s mudslide was the first that they remember.

Rainfall totals around the area (according to CoCoRahs.org, a community based weather spotting website):

• Puyallup: 2.00 inches

• Federal Way: 1.95 inches

• Olympia: 1.74 inches

• Auburn: 1.60 inches

• Tacoma: 1.54 inches

• Kent: 1.34 inches

The forecast for this week calls for sunshine and highs in the 70s expected by Friday. For updated weather information and images, visit the National Weather Service website at www.nws.noaa.gov.