Comments and suggestions were offered by several residents of the Upper Snoqualmie Valley, one of the hardest-hit areas of East King County where many residents were without power for more than a week. Councilmember Lambert congratulated residents and public officials in the Snoqualmie Valley for their teamwork in responding to emergency needs such as securing November election ballots, setting up an emergency triage and fire unit in Preston, and giving neighbor-to-neighbor assistance during the consecutive severe winter weather events.

North Bend Mayor Ken Hearing and Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larsen thanked Councilmember Lambert for her assistance in getting generators delivered by the National Guard to operate critical sewer and other municipal facilities in the two cities during the power outage. They announced that the cities are working together on efforts to obtain a low-watt radio transmitter to provide information to Snoqualmie Valley areas that don’t receive Seattle radio transmissions after sunset. They also are working on plans for a joint 24-hour shelter operation and offering emergency preparedness training to citizens through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.

King County Emergency Management Director Eric Holdeman explained the role of King County’s Emergency Coordination Center, which was open during and after the windstorm for 10 days – the longest activation of any agency, and tied with the longest activation ever in King County. The Emergency Management Division collected damage reports to assist with Governor Gregoire’s request for a federal disaster declaration, and the totals neared $30 million in damage to public facilities, he said. Emergency communications during the storm were challenging, because 911 phone lines were overloaded with non-emergency calls such as citizens reporting a power outage.

Eastside Fire & Rescue Chief Lee Soptich thanked the 30 ham radio operators who set up equipment at five fire stations to help handle emergency calls when phone lines were down. Although all fire stations have emergency power sources, they are not set up to be appropriate for use as overnight shelters, he said. However, Eastside Fire & Rescue is reviewing plans for partnering to find appropriate places for warming shelters and information centers, possibly with reader boards to update community emergency status and responses.

King County Road Engineer Paulette Norman said road crews have been stretched to their limits this winter by repairing flood damage, removing storm-damaged trees and responding to snow and ice events. They worked in coordination with utility crews to remove trees from roads after the power lines were disengaged. The biggest concern was with drivers who went around Road Closed signs and got stuck, and the Road Services Division will be looking at additional ways to mark road closures and detours, she said.

Jason Van Nort from Puget Sound Energy showed photos of the unprecedented damage from the windstorm, which he said the utility has nicknamed the “double-whammy” storm. He used diagrams to explain how all of the major electric transmission lines in the Snoqualmie Valley were damaged. So far, PSE has replaced 1,900 utility poles, 600 transformers and 200 miles of line, and permanent repairs are still underway. PSE has identified a need to improve communications with customers and has contracted with an independent consultant to evaluate emergency response plans and vegetation management, Van Nort said.

The record flooding in November also continues to be an issue, with Valley residents concerned about flood insurance and drainage issues. Councilmember Lambert announced the approval of King County’s new Flood Management Plan in January, which will provide discounts on flood insurance. The county also is looking at grant opportunities for raising homes that flood repeatedly.

This was the third town hall meeting in King County about windstorm response efforts with an opportunity for the public to comment and make suggestions. Councilmember Lambert also hosted a Jan. 6 Town Hall meeting in Woodinville, and the King County Council hosted a countywide meeting on Feb. 5 in West Seattle. She also has attended six other debriefings with public officials, including a sheltering summit meeting.

“It is heartening to see how families and neighbors have helped each other and worked together to keep each other safe and warm during this emergency,” said Councilmember Lambert. “My goals with these town hall meetings are to encourage citizens and families to get better prepared, and to use this windstorm event as a learning experience to make sure that the response efforts of government agencies and utilities are coordinated as efficiently as possible in the future.”

Councilmember Lambert thanked those who participated for getting involved and contributing to emergency preparedness efforts, and also thanked Mayor Hearing for opening the Mount Si Senior Center for the Town Hall meeting.

For more information:

• King County Roads: (206) 296-8100 or 1-800-527-6237
www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/roadalert

• Emergency Preparedness: 1-800-523-5044 www.metrokc.gov/prepare/preparerespond

• Regional Public Information Network: www.rpin.org

• King County Council: www.metrokc.gov/lambert