The culprit is the Howard Hanson Dam, which was damaged last winter following heavy rains and is in the process of being repaired. The Green River, downstream from the dam, is at risk for massive flooding if the dam collapses completely, or if the Army Corps of Engineers has to release large amounts of water quickly to prevent its collapse.
How does a person prepare for something like this? As it turns out, there are steps a person can take to prepare for and manage during a flood.
Preparing For a Flood:
• Decide how your household will communicate in the event of a disaster.
• Make sure that all in your household have access to information from the Emergency Alert System. Find out if there is a local disaster warning signal and, if so, what that is.
• Contact your City or County to find out about their emergency action plan.
• If you have children, find out about the school’s emergency action plan.
• Decide on a meeting place outside your neighborhood and make sure everyone has the address and phone number.
• In case there is a need for evacuation, talk about the best two escape routes out of your home, neighborhood, from your children’s school, day care center, your workplace or anywhere family members spend time.
• Identify an out-of-State contact, and make sure everyone in your household has that person’s name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Build or buy a disaster kit. The Red Cross website is a great resource to help determine what you will want in your kit.
• Think about CPR and First Aid training if you don’t already know both.
• If you don’t know your neighbors, introduce yourself and your household to them.
• Get flood insurance if you don’t have it already. If you are renting, get tenant’s insurance for your belongings.
• Gather disaster supplies.
Managing During a Flood:
The notification will come from the NOAA Weather Service. It will use the terms advisory, watch or warning. An "advisory" means that there may be a flood in 2-7 days. The term "watch" means there may be flooding possible in 12-48 hours. The term "warning" means that a flood is occurring or will occur within 12 hours.
If the notification includes an advisory to evacuate, do so immediately. The following tips are from FEMA...
• If you need to evacuate, secure your home.
-If you have time, bring in outdoor furniture.
-Move essential items to an upper floor.
• Turn off utilities at the main switches or valves if instructed to do so. Disconnect electrical appliances. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.
• Once outside, do not walk through moving water. Six inches of moving water can make you fall. If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the firmness of the ground in front of you.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. You and the vehicle can be quickly swept away.
Once you get to higher ground, be sure to follow your evacuation plan. Please let me know if this information is helpful, or if there is any additional information that might help others.
Until next time...
Kathy
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