Date:  Thursday, November 06, 2008

Contact: Patrick Conrad, WSDOT Communications - 206-437-6314 (24 hr. pgr) (Seattle)
Joe Irwin, WSDOT Communications - 360-507-854 (Tacoma/Olympia)
Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communications - 360-757-5997 (Skagit/Whatcom counties)
Mike Westbay, WSDOT Communications - 509-577-1617 (Snoqualmie Pass)

SEATTLE – WSDOT crews are ready for wind, snow and rain tonight and tomorrow. WSDOT is reminding drivers to be ready too.

“Our crews have spent the last several days clearing drains so they don’t plug and flood,” said Dave McCormick, WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Maintenance and Operations. “This is just one of a dozen fall weather prep activities we do every year.”

The predicted pineapple express has prompted flood watches for nearly every county west of the Cascades. Particularly heavy downpours are expected across the Olympic mountain range and in the North Cascades. The watches begin at 4 p.m. Thursday and remain in effect through Friday afternoon. www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather/

Drivers should be prepared for localized flooding and heavy rainfall that could impede visibility at times. We remind all drivers to use WSDOT’s traffic tools before they hit the road. Everything from traffic cameras to travel times to winter driving tips can be found at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic.

“A storm like this is also a great time to clear gutters and drains on your street. If everyone does their part to keep these spaces clear, it helps to keep the potentially damaging water moving in the right direction,” said McCormick.

More WSDOT news
Drivers can check out our new WSDOT news page at www.wsdot.wa.gov/news. We post press releases, pictures taken by our crews in the field, author blogs and let you follow WSDOT news via our twitter account.

                                               ###

< Back to News Home