Veterans chip in to help Seattle's South Park in wake of flood

January 06, 2023

1 of 4Volunteer military veterans with Team Rubicon help clean up debris in Seattle's South park neighborhood following massive flooding in December 2022.

Credit: Courtesy of Team Rubicon.

Seattle's South Park neighborhood is still clearing out debris from last week's significant flooding. Now, veterans are helping with the disaster response.

The vet-led organization Team Rubicon says it has started a five-day debris clean-up, collaborating with Seattle's Office of Emergency Management and other city departments. Rubicon's volunteers are called "Greyshirts." They were contacted by Seattle Public Utilities and asked to help out in South Park.

Here's a look at TR's active operations in response to severe rain and flooding:
South Park neighborhood of Seattle, WA - Greyshirts will perform muck outs and debris removal.
Sacramento, CA - Greyshirts will conduct chainsaw operations, flood mitigation, and debris removal. pic.twitter.com/LlJJkAe1m3
— Team Rubicon (@TeamRubicon) January 6, 2023

Their focus is on assisting residents adjacent to the Duwamish River, flooded with water and other floating waste last week. Greyshirts will be charged with removing a range of debris from the neighborhood.

About 20 families were displaced in South Park due to the flood.

Team Rubicon began after 2010's earthquake in Haiti and has since grown to more than 150,000 veteran volunteers across the country.

As heavy rain and flooding continue across the West, Team Rubicon is deploying recon teams to Hansville, WA and Seattle, WA to meet with local officials and assess needs. With more rain expected, we will continue to monitor this evolving situation and stand by ready to support. pic.twitter.com/1mslZwOBsD
— Team Rubicon (@TeamRubicon) January 3, 2023

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Paige Browning
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Paige hosts midday newscasts and monitors news of significance to the Puget Sound region. She hopped over Washington’s mountains to join KUOW, after hosting news and reporting at Spokane Public Radio since 2011. She began her start in radio while a journalism student at University of Montana, by sharing stories with KUFM. Paige was raised in the mountains and rivers around Spokane. In her spare time she cheers on the Mariners in the summer, and hopes for snow in the winter.
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