Pummeling rains set a new standard for weather inclemency Tuesday.
In the 24-hour period from midnight to midnight Oct. 20, Bainbridge Island saw rainfall measuring 4.05 inches, according to data collected at the Sakai Intermediate School weather station.
In the storm period from 11 p.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Tuesday, the total reached 4.6 inches, Sakai science teacher Doug Olson reported.
The previous one-day high recorded at the student-run weather station was 2.65 inches on March 18, 1996.
The Tuesday-to-Tuesday total of 7.24 inches of rain compares to an average monthly total of 3.7 inches on Bainbridge since 1990. The rainiest October since that year was 1997, when 10.5 inches fell.
This October’s month-to-date total is 8.45 inches, Olson said.
Despite the massive volumes of water cascading down city streets and through roadside ditches, islanders appear to have weathered the deluge with aplomb.
Bainbridge Police reported few emergency calls, none particularly storm related.
A possible water rescue in Eagle Harbor was uneventful; by the time officers located the vessel, it had already been secured to the city dock where it then sank, police Lt. Chris Jensen said.
The day’s lone traffic incident appeared to be on Winslow Way, where a vehicle caught fire after a fender-bender.
Bainbridge fire responders were summoned to pump out flooded basements at several Winslow businesses and private residences.
City road crews suspended their normal operations to chase down storm-related calls until late Tuesday night, city operations director Lance Newkirk said.
Crews spent the day clearing leaves and debris from storm drains, and dealt with several trees downed by saturated soils and moderate winds. Utility lines were reported across the roadway in the Crystal Springs neighborhood.
The Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management is gathering information related to flood damage throughout the area.
Anyone whose home or business suffered damage is asked to report it by calling (360) 616-5876 or by email to dem@co.kitsap.wa.us.
The information will be forwarded to the Washington State Department of Emergency Management and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist government organizations in determining whether Kitsap County will be part of a presidential disaster declaration.
– Douglas Crist
