Boston Harbor Marina near Olympia closed due to damage from record tidal flooding
There’s a pillar inside Boston Harbor Marina in Olympia with notches dating back almost 50 years. The notches track the ever-climbing record tide height at the marina, which sits below the flood line.
Owners Kate Gervais and her mom, Cam, added a new notch on Tuesday, Dec. 27, after unprecedented tides swept their building, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
The marina is closed for the foreseeable future, Gervais told The Olympian Wednesday. Flood waters damaged six upright coolers and the marina’s beer tap cooler, caused an electrical fire and destroyed the power grid. Gervais said she’s not sure just how much needs to be repaired and replaced, but she’s hoping for more clear answers by the end of the week.
Gervais said the marina has flood protocol — the building is close to 100 years old and is no stranger to high waters. They typically take everything off the floors and put coolers on risers. But water levels rose well above what was predicted, and there was little the marina could do about it. Water reached the bottom of raised coolers and above electrical outlets on the bottom floor.
The water receded quickly, so Gervais and her family were able to get into the marina to assess the damage. The Olympia Fire Department was called out to handle the electrical fire, which luckily didn’t spread. Gervais said an electrician also came out, but will need to return later this week to fully assess the situation.
Gervais said she can imagine it’ll be a while before they’re open again, but it’s possible they’ll open back up in stages. For example, she said they might open back up to sell chips and warm beer while coolers are repaired. She said their kitchen is upstairs, so they’re hoping to open as soon as their electrical system is working.
Gervais said right now it’s looking like the entire downstairs will need to be rewired.
She said she expects to deal with situations like these, considering their business is on the water.
But she said it’s been great seeing the community rally around them. Gervais announced the closure on the marina’s Facebook page, and the post received more than 900 interactions. She said she plans to post on social media when the marina will be back open.
This story was originally published December 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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