print

Dec. 20, 2006

County prepares for evening storm; residents urged to continue reporting damage

With a new weather front approaching Western Washington and due to continued power outages, King County officials continue coordinating with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and other utilities to restore services and electrical power to the region.

The National Weather Service expects sustained winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour as the front moves through the region today. The King County Emergency Coordination Center will continue to provide regional support around the clock to respond to the new weather front and help to coordinate shelters with the Red Cross and local communities.

The weather front is expected to bring moderate winds and rain to the area, not nearly the volumes King County experienced during the windstorm last week. PSE officials are concerned as service in some areas remains fragile, and some temporary fixes could be compromised by the return of foul weather. King County reminds residents to be patient and vigilant about personal safety, the well-being of your neighbors, including the dangers posed by downed power lines and carbon monoxide.

PSE officials are hopeful that nearly all customers who lost power from the windstorm last week will have service by Saturday. Pockets in Duvall and Cottage Lake areas, however, may have to wait until Sunday or longer to turn the lights back on.

As of Tuesday, 87,000 PSE customers in King County were without power. About 5,300 Seattle City Light customers remained without electrical service.

Currently, PSE has 350 crews working countywide to restore electric service. King County crews are working round-the-clock to clear roads, maintain public safety and clean up storm debris.

On Tuesday service was restored to limited portions of North Bend, Snoqualmie and Carnation. Power restoration crews from as far away as Missouri, Kansas, California, Nevada and other states are working nonstop to repair the massive damage.

Property damage

Residents of King County have 48 hours to report damage to their homes and businesses due to the wind storm by calling the King County Damage Hotline at 800-523-5044 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, until Friday, December 22nd. (**Note: This is not the phone number to report a power outage. For power outages call 888-225-5773.) King County is collecting the information to provide the State of Washington figures on any future Presidential Disaster Declaration, which could qualify the area for federal funds.

Over the past four days, the King County Disaster Hotline has logged 345 calls from residents reporting damage to their homes or businesses. Damage estimates to date total $8 million in structural damage and $1.5 million in personal property damage. Fifteen businesses have reported $307,000 in structural damage and a $752,000 loss in inventory. Residents and businesses are urged to document damage with photographs, as reported information will be used to assist the State of Washington should they request federal disaster assistance.

Shelters

King County, various cities, and the Red Cross have 18 shelters and warming centers for citizens who have been affected by the storm. The special needs shelter located in the cafeteria of Bellevue Community College (BCC) is operating with a reduced staff now that several residents there have returned to the Mt. Si Transitional Care facility in North Bend. The BCC shelter has served 40 residents since opening Saturday night. Shelters can be used during the day to get warm, take showers, recharge cell phones, and to receive food.

• Vine Church (re-opened 12/20 – 12/21), 16551 N.E. 79th St., Redmond. Call 425-861-3438
• Si View Metro Park Warming Shelter, 400 S.E. Orchard, North Bend
• Duvall Church Warming Shelter, 15520 Main St., Duvall
• Bellevue Community College (Special Needs Shelter), 3000 Landerholm Circle S.E.
• Auburn Senior Center, 808 Ninth St. S.E. Call 253-931-3016
• Auburn YMCA 1620 Perimeter Road. Call 253-833-2770
• Bethany Bible Church, 6214 N.E. Bothell Way in Kenmore
• Mercer Island Community Center, Open 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. No meals or night shelter.
• Renton Highlands Community Center, 800 N.E. Edmonds Street
• Highland Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue (operated by City of Bellevue)
• Masonic Retirement Center of Washington/ Landmark On The Sound, 23660 Marine View Drive S., Des Moines, 206-323-2345
• Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Ave S.
• North Bellevue Community Center, 4063 148th Ave
• King County Aquatic Center (day shelter), Federal Way
• Jewish Community Center (day shelter), 3801 E. Mercer Way, Mercer Island
• Crossroads Community Center, 16000 NE 10th Street, Bellevue (day shelter), snacks and drinks, open until 9 p.m.
• South Bellevue Community Center, 14509 SE Newport Way, (day shelter), snacks and drinks, open until 9 p.m.

Closed Shelters

• Bellevue High School
• Bitter Lake Community Center, 13035 Linden Ave N., Seattle
• Carol Edwards Center, 17401 133rd Ave. N.E., Woodinville
• Delridge Community Center, 4501 Delridge Way S.W.
• Presbyterian Church on Vashon Island
• Southwest Community Center, 2801 SW Thistle, Seattle
• Vashon Old Fire Hall, on Vashon Island
• West Mercer Elementary School Shelter, 4141 81st Ave S.E., Mercer Island EOC is coordinating agency. Call 206-236-5300.

Regional Public Information Network

The Regional Public Information Network (RPIN, at www.rpin.org) has served as the Puget Sound region’s source for emergency-related information during past six days following last week's wind storm. Since Thursday afternoon, more than 100 messages have been posted on the RPIN Web site and distributed to RPIN subscribers who can receive the information via e-mail, text page, or via cell or PDA. A wide variety of agencies including King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, the cities of Auburn, Bothell, Burien, Issaquah, Seattle, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Renton, and Woodinville, and other agencies including Washington Department of Transportation, Eastside Fire and Rescue, and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency have all posted emergency information to RPIN over the last week. Subscriptions to RPIN are free and open to the public and media. Visit www.rpin.org to sign up.

Debris drop-off locations

In King County, tree stumps, limbs and brush can be recycled at one of a number of commercial recycling processors and turned into valuable wood chips or mulch. Visit the Solid Waste Division Web site, www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd, for more details.

The City of Bothell is operating two free debris drop-off sites for Bothell residents from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Drop off sites will be closed Dec. 24-25 and will re-open on Tuesday, Dec. 26, until further notice. Learn more at www.ci.bothell.wa.us.

Free structural damage inspections

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. For more information, visit www.metrokc.gov/ddes.

The City of Bothell is also offering free storm damage inspections to Bothell citizens who experienced structure damage to their homes or businesses. Inspection requests can be made through the City of Bothell Inspection Request Line at 425-489-3390.

King County transportation

King County Road Services continues to work closely with Puget Sound Energy and local utilities and reopen roads as power is restored. For current road closures, visit www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/roads/roadalert.

For regional wind storm information, visit www.rpin.org.

NOTE: The Joint Information Center will close this evening at 5 p.m., and reopen on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 8 a.m. For contact overnight, please call the main Emergency Coordination Center phone at (206) 296-3830.