Windstorm Update: Parks open, FEMA reimbursement submitted

The November 2024 bomb cyclone made long-lasting impacts in the City. Crews are still working on clearing debris in 2025 and making repairs.

In our initial storm response, we diverted Parks staff to help with our Public Works Maintenance crews to clear debris from the public right of way for community safety. We even had chainsaw-certified police officers clearing debris in the aftermath. We worked with our partner agencies like King County and Eastside Fire & Rescue to coordinate efforts.

Crews worked 10-hour shifts for multiple weeks to clear debris and awaited Puget Sound Energy crews, who were required to fix power lines before city crews could clear roadways. The City hosted a community debris drop-off event on Dec. 14 to help residents remove debris that fell on private property.

City Hall operated as a warming center for nearly a week after the storm, offering people a place to charge devices, warm coffee, and a warm place to rest. Additional staff support was also provided to meet immediate needs.

We increased communication between Nov. 20 - 27 with 227 posts across social media channels, which is an increase of 393% vs pre-storm with over 264,641 views. If you do not follow the City on social media, please do. This is the most immediate way to share information quickly to a large group of people.

All of our Parks have reopened with the exception of Beaver Lake Preserve. Due to multiple hazardous trees that have either fallen across trails, are leaning over trails, etc at Beaver Lake Preserve –all need a certified arborist to remove. There's also some boardwalk damage needing extensive repairs. We estimate these trails/this park being reopened by March-April. We will open portions of trails sooner if and when safe to do so.

The City started collecting information about damage for the County, meeting the monetary threshold to apply for possible FEMA reimbursement. This process takes a long time and requires a lot of paperwork. We submitted all necessary documentation and asked for $2,235,902 amount in reimbursement from the federal government. We have not received approval, yet.