Carnation leaders say dam breach system still problematic after city of Seattle's fix

CARNATION, Wash. — People in Carnation are running out of patience with city leaders in Seattle over a dam breach warning system they claim doesn't work. Seattle just upgraded the equipment after a series of false alarms caused people to panic, but some Carnation residents said the new sirens are hard to hear.

A warning system of loudspeakers was installed around Carnation to alert residents to the danger if the Tolt River Dam ever suffered a catastrophic breach. That level of damage could unleash a 30-foot wall of water that could smash through large sections of the city.

“Run to the hills if it floods,” said Marque Pounds of Carnation. “This whole area is pretty much doomed."

However, sometimes the warning system triggered false alarms, or it didn’t work at all during routine testing.

“So from 2020 to 2023, there have been six different instances where the system was faulty,” said Carnation City Manager Ana Cortez. "We had heard from Seattle Public Utilities how a lot of the problems that we were having were to be resolved with the new system."

ALSO SEE | Carnation demands Seattle fix dam break warning system that keeps failing

The city of Seattle owns the dam, and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) agreed to upgrade the Tolt Dam Early Warning System to eliminate the false alarms, which set off mass panic when people scrambled to evacuate. The trouble is that the new system is hard for some to hear.

“I definitely think that they should do something so people can hear it because it's going to be serious if they don't," said Lindsey Schold, who lives and works in Carnation. “I can't hear it when it goes off so I forget about it."

Pounds said it was also a concern for him.

“Lately I haven't heard pretty much of anything out here. It's been quiet. The dogs don't bark anymore whenever the sirens go off,” Pounds said.

The sirens are audible in many neighborhoods but some community members said they don't hear the weekly tests at all if they are indoors.

“You can hear it up on top of the mountain. You can hear it probably a mile and a half down the road. It may be too much insulation in people's houses if they can't hear it but I can hear the thing,” said Carnation resident Gregory Dunham.

A spokesperson for Seattle Public Utilities shared this statement on the recent complaints:

“On October 18, Seattle Public Utilities fulfilled its promise to the Carnation community to fully transition to the new Early Tolt Dam Early Warning System. Based on feedback from residents on the new warning system, we continue to make improvements on the system’s sound volume and quality, including upgrading all speakers, speaker amplifiers and re-recording voice messages.

We are also reviewing and enhancing current protocols to include communications like:

• In cooperation with our emergency partners, text alert notifications for residents should another false alarm occur
• A “the dam is safe” announcement broadcast at siren speaker locations should another false alarm occur

In addition to the Early Warning System, SPU ensures dam safety in the follow ways:

• 24/7 surveillance and monitoring of the dam
• Daily visual inspections and instrument readings
• Safety and Security Plan
• Periodic engineering, federal, and independent inspections
• Emergency Action Plan”

Carnation city officials said having a life-saving warning system that not everyone can hear is clearly a problem, and Seattle needs to come through on what was promised.

“The system that we were waiting for, it has been a disappointment," Cortez said.

Carnation is now considering the possibility of imposing fines and mitigation fees on Seattle. City officials are also reaching out to federal regulators to intervene.