By Patrick Robinson and David Rosen

The storm that hit the Seattle area during the early morning hours of Dec. 17, when coupled with a high tide of 12.8 caused a storm surge that flooded Alki Beach, the promenade, and beach front houses. Only three homes noted power issues in the West Seattle area though others in Seattle lost power, notably east of I-5 and near Tukwila.

Well known blogger, Rhonda Porter of Beach Drive Blog, had pumps in place to remove the shin deep water that had come crashing over her bulkhead and waterside deck.

Porter said, "We got up around 4:30, and we already had our pumps set up because we were concerned about flooding. But we got on our flood gear and we had a lot to move around, getting ready to have the pumps manned."

Other neighbors on 4700 block on the beach were also seeing flooding problems. Porter said she had been publishing a series of warnings on her blog and has shared her pumps when she could in the past.
"Most neighbors had rented pumps when they were able to get them in time," said Porter," and most neighbors with low driveways are prepared for it."

"This is one of the worst times we've seen so far," she said. This house does flood because of the way it's situated, we're kind of the New Orleans of the neighborhood."

Earlier the Washington State Ferry system announced the temporary cessation of the Vashon to Seattle foot ferry and the ferries that came to the Fauntleroy dock had trouble keeping the boat straight. Commuters reported that the crossing was very rough and the boat swayed in the wind. The CSO construction site next to the Fauntleroy Ferry dock was inundated, the fence torn down.

The National Weather Service had reduced the forecast to a Wind Advisory overnight but Alki Beach saw wind speed of up to 55 mph and other areas were similarly affected.

See our previous wind and tide coverage here.