Residents try to protect Ken Lake homes from water

By Christian Hill | The Olympian • Published December 04, 2007

An avid bird watcher, Bob Morse typically has his eyes turned to the sky. On Monday morning, they were scanning the ground.

A resident of Ken Lake, Morse was one of many homeowners whose homes were flooded by a torrent of rain that overwhelmed the neighborhood's stormwater system.

Ken Lake was one of the hardest hit neighborhoods dealing with flooding as the worst storm event in at least a decade ravaged South Sound. Many homeowners living along the shoreline of Ken Lake decided to stay home to monitor the water level and protect their homes.

The waters flooded Morse's downstairs, including rooms he just had remodeled. It was flowing into the room where he kept extra inventory of his book, "Birds of the Puget Sound Region," atop pallets. Unable to move the dozens of heavy boxes, he hoped they would stay dry. The water lifted manhole covers off their castings on the street in front of his house.

"I've lived here since 1978," he said. "This is by far the worst I've seen it."

The Ken Lake neighborhood lies next to U.S. Highway 101 and within the shadow of Olympia's major commercial area.

Cheryl Miranda watched from her back deck as water churned past her home on its way to the lake. Her backyard was completely flooded, and water was starting to seep into her basement.

A short distance away, she pointed to a 20-foot-deep ravine where she said water was about to crest.

"If that comes over the top, we're sunk," she said.

Neighbors did what they could to keep the running water from damaging homes. They stacked sandbags delivered by the city's public works department.

The fire department also provided pumps. Morse received one of them, but it broke down.

Neighbors had stacked sandbags in front of Mary Fairhurst's driveway, but water still pooled in front of her front step.

So far the water had stayed out of the house but it was a tenuous situation. Outside her laundry room door, a channel of water raced into the lake.

"This is nuts," she said. "We've lived here 10 years, and we've never had this happen."

About 5 p.m., Miranda said there was 3 inches of water standing in her basement. She had been told her insurance policy wouldn't cover the damage.

The river of floodwater next to her home had receded about 5 inches, she said Monday afternoon, but more rain was on the way.

Christian Hill covers the city of Lacey and military for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5427 or at chill@theolympian.com.