Experts issue warning as underground crisis threatens to uproot entire neighborhood: 'Close to impossible'

n invisible enemy lurks beneath the streets of Seattle's South Park, a small neighborhood along the Duwamish River. The crisis in question? Flooding — driven by rising tidal water, low atmospheric pressure, rainfall, and other factors, according to a recent Seattle Times report. And experts say it's getting worse.

What's happening?

In South Park, floods are becoming more frequent. High tides and heavy rains can cause water to back up through storm drains and pool in the streets. The neighborhood's low elevation, aging infrastructure, and susceptibility to rising sea levels all add to its vulnerability.

Seattle Public Utilities, which is working with other city departments to protect South Park from flooding, says on its website that "there needs to be both drainage/sewer improvements and climate adaptation improvements."

The rising risk of flooding stems from a combination of factors — and part of the problem lies underground. Some areas of South Park rely on an older combined sewer system, where rainwater and wastewater from homes share the same pipes.

When a big storm hits or tides run high, those pipes can quickly overflow. That means residents aren't just dealing with floodwater — they're also facing sewage backups in their homes, which creates serious health risks and makes cleanup even harder.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration information cited by the Times indicated that the average high tide in Seattle's Elliott Bay — which connects to the Duwamish River — has risen about 10 inches since 1899. University of Washington coastal hazard specialist Ian Miller told the news outlet that South Park flooding in 2022 would have been "close to impossible" without the sea level rise that has already occurred.

Why is South Park's flooding concerning?

South Park is home to many working-class families in a lower income bracket — a group that is often hit first and hardest by the impacts of extreme weather. Frequent flooding not only threatens homes and streets but also poses a risk to health and safety.

Contaminated water, mold, and damaged infrastructure can create long-term problems for families with limited resources to recover.

What's more, the Duwamish River is a Superfund site — a polluted waterway already under cleanup. Rising water increases the risk of contaminants spreading into residential areas, further compounding the dangers.

While extreme weather events such as flooding aren't new, climate change is intensifying them, making them generally more frequent and severe. It's not just South Park — vulnerable neighborhoods across the U.S. are facing similar threats from sea level rise fueled by rising global temperatures and, ultimately, the burning of dirty energy sources.

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What's being done about it?

Completed in 2023, South Park's $33 million pump station now helps keep tides and stormwater at bay. Since 2013, King County and Seattle Public Utilities have invested approximately $76 million in flood mitigation, with plans to allocate an additional $98 million to protect this neighborhood, all per the Times.

Tasked with discussing long-term solutions, the Duwamish Valley Resiliency District — which includes both businesses and residents — is working on ideas such as elevating homes, building a permanent floodwall, and purchasing properties in flood-prone areas.

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