Dec. 19, 2006
King County residents urged to beware of scammers when hiring for repairs
As many residents cope with a fifth day without power, King County urges individuals with damage to their homes to be wary of individuals offering repairs in exchange for cash.
"Most people have been stepping up to help each other in their time of need," said Eric Holdeman, Director of King County's Office of Emergency Management. "But with any natural disaster, scammers also use the opportunity to take advantage of people facing expensive storm damage repairs."
Typically, the scammers will offer to repair homes or remove downed trees in a hurry in exchange for cash. Once they have the money in hand, they disappear. Residents are cautioned to check any business solicitor with the Better Business Bureau or only hire those they call themselves from the phone book. This will help deter shoddy or incomplete work by out-of-state and unlicensed contractors.
Personal and business property damage
King County residents can call the Damage Hotline at 800-523-5044 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, to report damage to their home or business sustained during this most recent storm. This is not the phone number to report a power outage.
Over the past five days, the King County Disaster Hotline has logged more than 250 calls from residents reporting damage to their homes or businesses. Damage estimates to date total more than $6.6 million in structural damage and $1.3 million in personal property damage. Residents are urged to document damage with photographs, as reported information will be used to assist the State of Washington in its request for federal disaster assistance."
Wind damage inspections
In response to the high winds experienced last week, the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services (DDES) will offer free wind damage structural inspections to citizens in the unincorporated area. Inspections will be conducted within one business day of the request.
In addition to evaluating the integrity of the damaged structure, DDES inspectors will assess whether a permit is required to proceed with repairs. For minor repairs, permits can be issued over the counter. In the event of major damage, the permit review will be expedited. DDES only has jurisdiction in the unincorporated area. For damage within a city limit, the pertinent city should be contacted.
To request a damage inspection during business hours, call 206-296-6630. During non-business hours, call 206-296-6615.
Septic safety during a power outage
Prolonged power outages can create dangers for residents who depend on a septic system. The following tips can help resident safely monitor and use their system until power is restored.
Reduce your water use to a minimum, especially if the system has a pump. When all the reserve storage inside the chamber is used, the waste pipes in your home can back-up. There is usually a one-day supply of emergency storage space available in the pump tank.
Turn off the pump at the control panel. When repairing the pump, always turn off the power supply at the circuit breaker and unplug all power cord before handling the pump or floats.
If the power outage caused the pump to malfunction, do not enter the pump chamber. Gases inside pump chambers are toxic and can be fatal. It is best to call a certified septic system installer for service or repair.
After power is restored, switch the pump on and let it run for a maximum of 5 minutes, and then turn it off. Repeat this manual switching every 6 hours until the effluent drops to the "OFF" level and the pump turns off by itself. If only a small amount of water was used, the pump may automatically turn off during the first switching.
Shelters
King County, various cities, and the Red Cross have opened the following shelters for citizens who have been affected by the storm:
Auburn Senior Center, 808 9th St. SE. Call 253-931-3016 **NEW**
Auburn YMCA 1620 Perimeter Road. Call 253-833-2770 **NEW**
Presbyterian Church on Vashon Island
Bethany Bible Church, 6214 NE Bothell Way in Kenmore
Mercer Island Community Center, Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. No meals or night shelter.
Jewish Community Center (day shelter), 3801 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island
Renton Highlands Community Center, 800 NE Edmonds Street
West Mercer Elementary School Shelter, 4141 81st Ave SE, Mercer Island EOC is coordinating agency. Call 206-236-5300.
Bellevue Community College (Special Needs Shelter), 3000 Landerholm Circle SE
Highland Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue (operated by City of Bellevue)
Bellevue High School, 10416 SE Wolverine Way (***Closing at noon; residents will be moved to the Highland Community Center***)
Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way SW
Federal Way Masonic Home, 23660 Marine View Dr. South, 253-653-8569
Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave So,
North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave
Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave N, Seattle
Southwest Community Center, 2801 SW Thistle, Seattle
Carol Edwards Center, 17401 133rd Ave. NE, Woodinville
Vine Church, 16551 NE 79th St., Redmond. Call 425-861-3438
King County Aquatic Center (day shelter), Federal Way
A special needs shelter located in the cafeteria of Bellevue Community College continues to take in medically fragile residents, including several dozen from the Mt. Si Transitional Care facility in North Bend. The special needs shelter is especially for those who are dependent on oxygen machines and other electricity-powered devices for health support.
Lost or displaced pets
The Humane Society of Seattle/King County opened its auditorium doors today to accommodate stray dogs and animals whose owners are staying in emergency shelters. Many animal shelters, including those run by King County Animal Services, are nearing full capacity. Both facilities are making accommodations to ensure no animal is turned away from their shelters and scanning pets for microchips so that they can be reunited with owners as quickly as possible.
Animal Services experts urge people to make sure their pets stay warm and have plenty of food and water during the cold weather. If your pet is missing, call 206-296-7387 or stop by the animal shelter closest to your home. This hotline is updated daily and lists every dog and cat picked up today by King County Animal Control and a description of the animal, including the breed, license information and the area where it was found.
Finding information and reporting problems
King County Officials have reported that the emergency phone number services hotline 2-1-1 isn't available on some cell phones. Cell phone users, please use 206-461-3200 or 800-621-4636 instead of 2-1-1.
For damage to or tree removal from King County roads, call the King County Roads Hotline, at 206-296-8100. For Seattle roads, contact the Seattle Department of Transportation at 206-684-7623. For other city roads, residents should contact their jurisdiction's road-maintenance staff.
For King County power-line issues, call Puget Sound Energy, at 888-225-5773. For Seattle power-line issues, call Seattle City Light, 206-684-3000.
To recycle debris such as stumps, tree limbs and brush, visit the Solid Waste Division Web site, www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd, and select the "What Do I Do With...?" option. Select either "Business" or "Resident," or "All landscaping/landclearing" and click the "Search" button to generate a list of recycling processors. In many cases these recycling options are significantly less expensive than disposal.
Food safety information is available from the Public Health – Seattle & King County Web site, http://www.metrokc.gov/health/disaster/protectfoods.htm.
For Seattle drainage, hydrant, or sewer problems, Seattle residents should call Seattle Public Utilities at 206-386-1800.