November 23, 2017 Happy Thanksgiving!

There is at least another 100' of flooding since the pictures on my last post! It's hard to tell but the water is much deeper.

November 23, 2017
Here I am, stuck at home, unable to leave because of the heavy rains and flooding!  The rivers are flooding which in turn, impacts the creek running across my property!! 


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All photo's and words by Ritzy Ritzhaupt

November 15, 2017 Flooding and Water Flow

November 15, 2017 Flooding and Water Flow
I'm taking pictures as I travel my driveway to the street.



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Traveling toward the street

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Can you see where the water is flowing very fast?


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The first overflow ditch my daughter has dug to help keep the depth of the flooding down.

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Early fall evening

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Some ditches appear not to be flowing as fast. I think because they are wider.

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Can you see the ripples of the overflow

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That's a lot of water raging across the driveway

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Another overflow ditch

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All photo's and words by Ritzy Ritzhaupt

OCTOBER 23, 2017 Flooding Nobody Cares About Me

Nobody Cares About ME!

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September 19, 2017

Hi Ms. Ritzhaupt:

Thank you for writing to Councilmember Lambert on this concern. I reach out to the King County Road Services Division (RSD) and the County Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) regarding the reoccurring flooding that takes place at this location.  Unfortunately, the flooding on the creek is naturally occurring, and WLRD does not have a program that would allow the county to reduce that flooding.  Additionally, the volume count of the traffic on this roadway is low compared to other roadways, and the detour route during the road closure is less than one mile in length.  Because of these two factors, this project does not rate high on RSD’s priority list of road drainage problems as many other roadways carry many thousands of motorists each day and/or the detour routes are considerably longer. 

The challenge there are not enough funds to go around, and this project did not compete well against other roadway projects when the RSD looked into this previously.  Since that time, the RSD now faces a massive funding shortfall that is causing them to not even do basic maintenance such as pothole repairs … which means that a roadway drainage project such as this one is even less likely occur now.  I know this is far from ideal, and I recognize that the flooding directly impacts your driveway.  I do wish I had a better answer for you.  Unfortunately, despite Councilmember Lambert’s efforts to advocate for a solution to this ongoing problem, the department staff has indicated that there is not much that county can do to alleviate the situation.  I’m very sorry I do not have better news to report. 

Sincerely,

April Sanders

Policy Director | King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert

516 Third Ave, Room 1200 | Seattle, WA 98104

Office - 206.477.0932

This email and any response to it constitute a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

OCT 20, 2017 My Driveway About 2pm FLOODED!!

A few car lengths into my driveway this afternoon.

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You can start to see the little ripples from the water flow across the driveway. These show the ripples from the ditches that Anna dug to keep the water flowing. Hopefully, so I won't get so flooded and will be able to get in and out of the driveway... we hope!

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This is where it's the deepest as the center of the driveway is under water.

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Oct 16, 2017 FLOODED NE 50th ST my driveway

King County has allowed Evans Creek to flow down NE 50th ST and my driveway. They have completely ignored the fact this creek use to be a Salmon spawning creek!  
The weatherman said today is the last sunny day for a while, since it's suppose to rain for six days straight!! I wonder how flooded I'll get or if I'll even be able to get home?!All photo's were taken today  Oct 16, 2017
Entrance to my driveway as I just drove in a few minutes ago

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Strong overflow of Evans Creek onto NE 50th ST





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10/16/17 the new creekbed for Evans Creek is NE 50th and my property. Oh and it hasn't rained that much and today the weatherman said today is the last sunny day with heavy rain... how am I to survive heavy rain for 6  
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 NE 50th ST in front of my property towards the
Sewer District pumping station.

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10/16/17 Looking from my driveway to the Evans Creek bridge with the creek running into NE 50th ST and across my driveway and flooding my property too! *Update on my mailbox delivery: My daughter was working in my driveway when the US Mail truck went whizzing by! NO, they will NOT deliver mail to my address!! But she watched them whiz by to deliver to the mailboxes on the other end of the flooding. Check the first and the fifth photo to see what they drove through but they WON'T deliver to my street address!?! Excuse me, but this is a CON!! Whoever is in charge at the Redmond Post Office needs to be GONE!! I just had to go to Rep. Suzan DelBene's office to get help with my delivery at my Redmond PO Box! They were great and helped me a great deal, but this is despicable behavior by the Redmond Post Office!! I feel unjustly under attack!

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10/16/17 the start of my driveway. Anna has 
been digging little ditches to help the water flow.

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10/16/17 the flooding continues as I continue up 
my driveway.

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10/16/17 The water level increases here as does
the flow of water. 
Oh, and it hasn't rained that heavy yet but we are suppose to have 6 days of steady rain!

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10/16/17 the water is deeper and flowing faster

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10/16/17 heading towards my barn

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10/16/17 looking back down my driveway. If you look closely you can see a yellow ribbon tied to the tree. That is where there is a bit of a dip and you must stay away for it if you don't want to get stuck!

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Jan 20, 2012 How I Get Home via NE 50th ST

Entering NE 50th ST off Hwy 202
Sorry! I'm not sure why these photo's keep disappearing... Working on getting it fixed!
These are older pictures yes, but this is still happening!! This is the only way I have to reach my property! I've noticed rich neighborhoods, the stream is cleaned by King County.
Kathy Lambert has told me tough, when I've asked what the County is going to do. The answer is NOTHING since I'm the only one their destruction and insensitivity hurts!!

Jan 20, 2012 @ 1:19pm

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I carefully drive around the Road Closed sign! Yes these are older pictures but this continues to happen!!!!! After you view this, tell me how would you feel if King County left you to travel through this for all these years? I am now 76 and this isn't what I consider as fun!! I've been here longer than the rest of you! On this property since March 1973!

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Crossing Evan's Creek bridge on NE 50th ST
You can't even see water running under the bridge anymore because it's all filled in and the bridge is in sad disrepair!

Dec 20, 2012  @ 1:19pm

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My mailbox and the entrance to my driveway. If the water is halfway up the mailbox post, I do not try to go home.
Dec 20, 2012 @ 1:19pm


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Entrance to my driveway on NE 50th ST Dec 20, 2012 @ 1:20pm


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A very rapid flow by the sewer connection.
I was told years ago they want to make this a dead end street but they can't because I can't get in from the other end of NE 50th ST... duh!

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Entering my property

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A few car lengths in

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Water is raging and flowing onto my pasture


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Must be very careful driving this since the water is moving fast enough to wash a lightweight car off the driveway into the pasture! Where we use to have horses!!


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This doesn't just happen and it goes away... no it sticks around sometimes for months!!


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The pasture where I use to have horses. See the tall pine by my pond, that has died because of the CONTINUED flooding?


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Raging flood water! How would you like to drive this is the dark?


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The raging water has cut away at my driveway to the point that at times you are very tilted and feel as though you might topple into water and get stuck in the flooded pasture!


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Sorry folks for any inconvenience caused by me not knowing exactly what to do and make the blog work for everyone to see... But I'm trying! Thank you for viewing my blogs! Oh please angels make it work this time!!

Services I've Lost Because of The Flooding!

This flooding is nothing I have created! The flooding of my driveway has caused the below issues:

(The responses I've gotten from Kathy Lambert are not helpful to fix or even try to help with the flooding King County has caused for me!)  

My furnace is broken and needs repair.  Genesee Energy, whom I have a service contract with, refused to come up my driveway on Thursday 9/21/2017 to start my furnace! 

The post office has stopped delivering my mail!

The local firemen walked up to my place in their hip boots and told me if I needed them they would not come!

The telephone repair person would not come up the driveway and there was 3' of water to get to the repair box.

AAA would not come up and fix my flat tire!

Repair people will not come out and once they see the driveway flooding, they refuse to come up the driveway!!  No one wants to come up my driveway! It's the same thing with my dryer!!

This link needs to be checkout... it's how this flooding all started:

Read about Sahalee Way and it's failure.http://www.iinet.com/~shs/sahaleeway.html

This is the response I received fromKing County Councilmember
Kathy Lambert's  office  

                         September 19, 2017

Hi Ms. Ritzhaupt:

Thank you for writing to Councilmember Lambert on this concern. I reach out to the King County Road Services Division (RSD) and the County Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) regarding the reoccurring flooding that takes place at this location.  Unfortunately, the flooding on the creek is naturally occurring, and WLRD does not have a program that would allow the county to reduce that flooding.  Additionally, the volume count of the traffic on this roadway is low compared to other roadways, and the detour route during the road closure is less than one mile in length.  Because of these two factors, this project does not rate high on RSD’s priority list of road drainage problems as many other roadways carry many thousands of motorists each day and/or the detour routes are considerably longer. 

The challenge there are not enough funds to go around, and this project did not compete well against other roadway projects when the RSD looked into this previously.  Since that time, the RSD now faces a massive funding shortfall that is causing them to not even do basic maintenance such as pothole repairs … which means that a roadway drainage project such as this one is even less likely occur now.  I know this is far from ideal, and I recognize that the flooding directly impacts your driveway.  I do wish I had a better answer for you.  Unfortunately, despite Councilmember Lambert’s efforts to advocate for a solution to this ongoing problem, the department staff has indicated that there is not much that county can do to alleviate the situation.  I’m very sorry I do not have better news to report. 

Sincerely,

April Sanders

Policy Director | King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert

516 Third Ave, Room 1200 | Seattle, WA 98104

Office - 206.477.0932

This email and any response to it constitute a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

Sept 12, 2017 My DRIVEWAY IN THE DARK!

My flooded driveway when I came home last night. The flooding seems to be getting worse. This was much deeper compared to when I left in the afternoon.
This was about two car lengths in after I entered my driveway.
How would you like your 76 year old mom driving up this after dark?!



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Sept 7, 2017 Yes, road and my driveway are STILL FLOODED!

I just took this afternoon o my road and driveway!
Still flooded today even though we've had very, very small
amount of rain in the last 70 days!!

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The little ripples in the water show the water is flowing, where
it's not in the creek.

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NE 50th St at my driveway and mailbox

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This is on the same side of the road as my mailbox...
View of the creek after it comes under the bridge! Oh,
yeah... where is all the water... on my driveway and
property and running down NE 50th St!!

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This is on the same side of the road as my driveway where the creek
flows under the bridge. The water is hardly moving!
This creek used to have very large salmon going upstream to spawn.
Haven't seen that in many, many years!!!
Remember, I am looking straight down over the railing on the bridge.
There is one deck placed on top of the first bridge deck. And notice there
not any space between the water and the bridge.

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This is the entrance to my driveway as of Sept 7, 2017 about 4:30 pm.
No wonder service or repairmen do not want to come up my driveway!


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This was my driveway 9/7/2017
Were it looks like the water stops, notice there
is a reflection of the trees in the water. The water
goes a long way up the driveway!
Remember, I have lived here a very long time (since 1973) and
I am now a senior citizen.
My two daughters walked up and down this driveway!
Each day they went to and from school by walking the
driveway, which was dry and out to hwy 202 to catch the bus until 1984!
I have done NOTHING to cause this water to flow
across my driveway and completely flood my pasture!!!

Feb 17, 2014 My driveway and NE 50th ST 1:27pm

You must understand that the driveway is not level since it's been eaten away by raging water. Entrance to my driveway and NE 50th ST

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This is when I had my Jeep... you need something with a clearance of at least 7 + inches just to be able to get home.  Standing at my driveway looking toward the holding pond and sewer pumping station on NE 50th ST.
This is when the county still cut the grass and cleaned out the ditch, they stopped doing it a few years ago!
Yes, it was very laughable when some King County people told me to take the other driveway. Excuse me, there is no other driveway to my house!
 
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This is looking toward the Evan's Creek bridge and Hwy 202 Feb 17, 2014.

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Aug 20, 2016 The scum that comes from the flooding

There is a great deal of this scum along my driveway and on NE 50th ST


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