Fall and winter bring rain, wind and flooding. While weather can’t be controlled, lives can be saved and belongings spared if people prepare for the worst, experts say.
Winds as strong as 50 mph are forecast for Thursday, making now the time to make sure homes are ready for whatever Mother Nature can churn out.
“Do it, and do it now,” said Ed Madura of the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management. “People don’t have to do a lot to make things better for themselves. If they think about it ahead of time and you just do something to prepare, you’re much better off in the long run.”
Last fall, floods, strong winds and storms stranded residents and cut power lines, causing more than $20 million damage in Snohomish County.
In other parts of Western Washington, several people died from carbon monoxide poisoning when they used propane heaters indoors to try to stay warm during widespread power outages.
The Snohomish County PUD is bracing for Thursday’s predicted windstorm, remnants of tropical storm Lingling, which has travelled across the Pacific. They have put 25 work crews on standby, including 11 tree crews and 14 power line crews. Wind speeds may be strong enough this week to cause branches to fall into power lines, PUD spokesman Neil Neroutsos said.
This year’s long-range forecast calls for a wetter winter and probable flooding, said Dennis D’Amico, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Seattle.
“We’re expecting La Nina conditions for the rest of the fall and into winter,” he said. “That means above-normal precipitation.”
Forecasters carefully monitor river levels and issue flood watches and warnings up to two days in advance of problems, he said.
Low-lying lands along the Stillaguamish, Skykomish and Snohomish Rivers frequently flood. Last year, water filled streets in several Snohomish County cities and towns, forcing families from their homes. Water turned streets to streams, streams to rivers and rivers to rushing torrents as people fled to escape the water’s path.
People should pay close attention to weather forecasts and, if they live in flood-prone areas, buy a special NOAA weather radio that automatically turns on when flood warnings are issued, D’Amico said.
It’s also a good idea to make a disaster plan, move furniture and other belongings to higher ground and have necessary supplies before the bad weather comes, Madura said.
Keep important documents, such as insurance policies and bank account information, readily available, just in case, he said.
And never use propane or charcoal grills indoors, he said.
With many non-English-speaking people in the county, Red Cross officials have printed flood preparedness information in Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, Arabic and Spanish, Snohomish County Red Cross spokesman Kris Krischano said.
Red Cross officials have placed 21 sheds that hold emergency supplies in remote areas in case bridges are washed out, or high water prevents emergency responders from reaching people in need, he said.
Last year’s record-breaking floods helped remind people that there are ways to lessen the impact of disasters.
“I wouldn’t say that I’m worried but we’re concerned. And we’re certainly trying to prepare for the worst,” Madura said.
Herald writer Scott Pesznecker contributed to this report.
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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