Whidbey Island’s low areas suffer flooding

High water surrounds a beach house at Holmes Harbor next to Freeland Park. Much of the park and Shoreview Avenue in front of Nichols Brothers were also flooded. - Kimberlly Winjum / The Record
Kimberlly Winjum / The Record
High water surrounds a beach house at Holmes Harbor next to Freeland Park. Much of the park and Shoreview Avenue in front of Nichols Brothers were also flooded.

By JUSTIN BURNETT
South Whidbey Record Island County
December 18, 2012 · 2:52 PM

Powerful winds and high tides Monday forced the closure of several roads on Whidbey Island and disrupted service on the Port Townsend-to-Coupeville ferry route.

Bill Oakes, director of Island County Public Works, said the following roads were all closed due to flooding: West Beach Road between Even Down Way and Swantown Road on North Whidbey, a section of Hill Road at Ebey’s Landing on Central Whidbey, and portions of Shoreview Drive by Freeland Park, Woodard Avenue and Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland.

According to Oakes, the number of road closures is the result of several converging factors. “It’s a high tide, a low pressure system and wind,” he said.

A National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration alert this Monday forecast westerly winds between 20 and 35 mph with local gusts to 60 mph. They were expected to diminish to between 15 and 30 mph with gusts near 45 mph by midday.

Tuesday morning brought a high tide more than 12-feet around 9 a.m. There were a few wet snowflakes early but little wind compared to the day before.

There was at least one power outage early Monday, as residents on Saratoga Road a few miles outside Langley awoke without electricity. Puget Sound Energy sent a crew that fixed a transformer, restoring power to about 50 customers by 3 p.m.

 

Contact South Whidbey Record Island County Justin Burnett at jburnett@whidbeynewsgroup.com.

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