Skagit County, WA – Below is a summary of the 11 am National Weather Service briefing from David Walde, Interim Emergency Management Division Manager from the Skagit County Department of Emergency Management:
“The 11:00 weather briefing from the National Weather Service has just concluded and I wanted to push out a summary of what we are looking at for the storm bearing down on Western Washington this afternoon and evening.
The low is predicted to track a bit farther off the coast than what was originally anticipated. This will increase the impact of the winds here in Skagit County.
* Timing: We will start to see winds beginning to pick up around 4-5 pm this afternoon with the strongest winds arriving 2-4 hours later. Eastern Skagit County may receive winds earlier as the low pressure system moves up the coast and winds begin to blow down valley towards the low.
* Wind Speed: Winds in the northwest interior (Everett north) are predicted to reach sustained speeds of 40-50 mph with gust to 60-70 mph. Western Skagit County will likely receive the strongest wind gusts.
* Duration: We should expect high winds for 4-5 hours once the strongest winds arrive.
* Storm Surge: As the storm moves north, there will be a potential for minor tidal flooding within the Puget Sound region.
Please remember that most injuries related to windstorms happen when people are outside during the storm. Please stay inside and do not use generators or barbecues indoors as it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. During the Hanukkah Eve storm of 2006 there were four deaths related to falling trees or debris and eleven deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Please note that Skagit 9-1-1 will not be able to tell you when your power will be back on, so please do not call them unless it is an emergency as they will be handling multiple calls related to the storm. I have attached (BELOW) a helpful guide to contacting your local utilities in the event that your power does go out.
Skagit DEM is currently operating at a heightened level of awareness and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the night.”
HELPFUL INFO FOR FALL & WINTER STORMS
REPORT A POWER, GAS OR WATER OUTAGE
- PSE outage map: http://pse.com/accountsandservices/ServiceAlert/Pages/Outage-Map.aspx
- PSE report an outage
- Skagit PUD: 360-424-7104
- Cascade Natural Gas: 1-888-522-1130
GARBAGE PICKUP
- Waste Management
- http://wmnorthwest.com/skagitcounty/
- Or call 1-800-592-9995
- Weather alerts: http://wmnorthwest.com/weatherboard.html
- Skagit County Transfer Stations: http://skagitcounty.net/Departments/PublicWorksSolidWaste/disposalinfo.htm
ROADS AND TRANSIT
- Skagit County road closures: http://www.skagitcounty.net/Reporting/roadclose/default.aspx
- WSDOT traffic conditions: http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/cameras/mtvernonstanwood.aspx
- Skagit Transit service alerts: http://www.skagittransit.org/alerts/default/
SCHOOL EMERGENCY INFORMATION
- Anacortes School District: http://www.asd103.org/for_students_and_families/emergency_information
- Burlington School District: http://www.be.wednet.edu/Page/337
- Conway School District: http://www.conway.k12.wa.us/
- LaConner School District: http://lcsd.wednet.edu/
- Mount Vernon School District: http://www.mountvernonschools.org/pages/MountVernonSchools/District_Resources/Emergency_Schedule
- Sedro-Woolley School District: http://www.swsd.k12.wa.us/Page/3695
*Added*: Concrete School District: http://www.concrete.k12.wa.us/emergency-information/
DRINKING WATER
- State Department of Health drinking water alerts: http://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/DrinkingWater/Alerts/RecentAlerts
FOOD SAFETY
- Department of Health food safety tips following a power outage: http://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/EmergencyPreparednessandResponse/PowerOutages/FoodSafety
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