(Drowning victim) Fleming's neighbors long complained about drains

[flamingyouth]

Chronically dysfunctional storm drains on East Madison Street -- the subject of several complaints to the city over the years -- may have caused the death of well-known voice-over actress Kate Fleming.

High above Fleming's neighborhood, water flows down to East Madison from neighborhoods to the east and west, and collects there. Witnesses said that Thursday, a huge amount of water covered most of the two-lane urban artery and spilled over the south curb. The torrent dug a hole under a fence and took a tumbling and twisting 40-foot plunge to Fleming's neighborhood. It hit her house like a giant hammer, smashing the foundation, filling the basement and drowning her.

The next morning, the water's destructive path was unmistakable.

Local business people said East Madison Street between 29th Avenue East and Lake Washington Boulevard East gets inundated with water whenever there are major rainstorms. Hairstylist Boyce Johnson said it floods only because leaves clog the drains.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/296439_drains19.html

These drains are a problem up by our neighborhood, near Interlaken Park, too. What a horrible story. :(

[uppityperson]

1. This is such a sad thing to happen and shocking.

Drown in your basement in Seattle? whew. I don't have words to express how I feel but thank you for posting this article as I missed it.