Summary

King County Road Services is closely monitoring ground movement on 356th Drive SE near Fall City, where a slow-moving slide is taking place under the roadway. Today the county will place a weight restriction on the road to prohibit heavy commercial trucks from using it.

Story

In partnership with the Office of Emergency Management, Road Services issued a message on Monday encouraging residents who would be isolated if the road worsens to evacuate before that happens. The ground under the road is moving slowly now, but heavy rains are expected within the next week. The rainy conditions could advance the slide and wash out the road. Today the county will place a weight restriction on 356th Drive SE prohibiting heavy commercial trucks from using the road. There is no restriction for emergency response vehicles.

The county does not expect the slide to affect State Route 202.

Crews have been monitoring the road day and night since last week for any significant movement. Cracks in the roadway indicate the slide could be accelerating, leading the county to recommend on Monday that nearby residents leave their homes.

A soil expert will be at the scene this week to help evaluate ground conditions. Road Services will close the road if conditions warrant.

356th Drive SE provides sole access for some 75 homes. The road is currently open and restricted to one lane north of the 4000 block—but that could change quickly.

Local Services Director John Taylor said, “This is a known slide area that we’ve been watching for a number of years. We’ve been observing it throughout this storm, and within the last day or so we’ve seen some real movement in the roadway. We really want to get ahead of this and notify homeowners to give them the chance to get out before anything happens, if it does happen.”

Road Services Division Director Rick Brater said, “There is another rainstorm heading our way next week, so right now is by far the best time to leave the affected area. We are monitoring this closely. If we see significant movement then we will have to close the road and people could be stranded.”

King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert said, “I just wanted to say how important it is that we get information very transparently to our constituents so they can voluntarily make decisions about what’s best for their families and their safety.”

Get information about current conditions on 356th Drive SE and sign up for email alerts on King County’s website.

The King County Office of Emergency Management offers information and resources for residents affected by this and other emergencies. To learn more, visit their website (https://kcemergency.com) or call 206-296-3830.

RELEVANT LINKS

• 356th Drive SE slide hazard page
• MyCommute page
• King County Office of Emergency Management
• King County Office of Emergency Management Landslide information