King Tides bring devastating floods to Seattle’s South Park neighborhood

King Tides brought devastating floods to Seattle’s South Park neighborhood and more than a dozen families were forced to evacuate on Tuesday.

While the waters of the Duwamish River have receded in the days since, widespread damage remains.

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Nicholas Michiels’ home on South Kenyon Street has power again, but the basement remains a muddy mess.

He guesses three to four feet of water seeped in from the backyard.

Sadly, expensive workout equipment, heirloom furniture, and prized keepsakes did not stand a chance.

“Our childhood pictures and stuff we had to peel them apart, lay them on paper towels, and try to take pictures of them,” said Michiels. “We definitely got burned, but we’re working really hard not to keep our hands in the coals.”

While he’s determined to keep on the cleanup, he’s concerned about the water he had to wade through.

“Dealing with flooding in this area is really difficult,” said Michiels. “One of the big issues here is that the Duwamish is a superfund site.”

According to Michiels, officials have been testing the quality of standing water.

Neighbors tell KIRO 7′s Lauren Donovan the Red Cross dropped off buckets, gloves, and supplies.

However, they agree the Duwamish River Community Coalition has been critical in keeping this water-logged community connected. They’ve brought meals and trash bags and are connecting residents to city resources.

Keri Burchard-Juarez with Seattle Public Utilities says the chaos Tuesday was caused by a confluence of factors.

“There was the King Tide. There was the rain that had been falling for several days and there was low pressure which actually exacerbates the King Tide,” said Burchard-Juarez.

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