Media Center
Transportation Today
News Releases
DOT Flix
Inside Transportation
Archives

Alerts
RPIN BreaKing News
Road Alerts
My Commute

King Co. DOT
KCDOT Home Page
Metro Transit
Road Services
KC International Airport
Fleet Administration

You are in: Transportation > Transportation Today > DOT Flix > Transcripts

Metro Transit | Road Services | KC Int'l Airport | Fleet Services
 

Ron Sims speaks at October 30th's 'Take Winter By Storm' Event.

Taking Winter By Storm in 2007

Watch this video clip (Real Media) Length: (4:11)

Watch this video clip (Windows Media) Length: (4:11)

Narrator Says:

<<Sounds of Helicopter>>

Whether it was the record flooding.

<<Sounds of Snow Plow>>

Sudden snowfall.

<<Sounds of Crews Cleaning Up Debris>>

Or powerful windstorms, the winter of late 2006 and early 2007 will not soon be forgotten.

It presented the King County department of transportation with many challenges. And taught many lessons.

And it was with those lessons in mind that King County along with Puget Sound Energy, the City of Seattle, and the Washington State Department of Transportation kicked off the annual ‘Take Winter By Storm’ campaign.

King County Executive Ron Sims stressed the importance of the various agencies collaborating to soften the blow winter weather can deliver to our region.

King County Executive Ron Sims Says:

We were hit very, very dramatically, and tested as never before with events we have never seen before. More importantly, these agencies have turned those lessons into concrete actions that will serve us well as we approach the next season.

There are many new and innovative efforts that each of our agencies have adopted as part of our plan as we head into winter time. Several of the results of the partnership have been forged between us.

We're working collaboratively we realize that you can't handle major events by sitting in your silos comfortably or uncomfortably. Nonetheless silos are not the place that will allow us to effectively respond to the major events we have seen, we have to work collaboratively.

Narrator Says:

On top of snarling travel last winter, snow and wind storms knocked out power to 10’s of thousands of homes. In some cases for weeks at a time.

Since those outages. Puget Sound Energy has been working with a number of emergency-management agencies to improve communication and speed up repair efforts.

Puget Sound Energy's Mary Robinson Says:

Puget Sound Energy, with [the] Washington State Department of Transportation, has been leading the effort along with King County Roads, the Washington State Patrol, Thurston County, Pierce County and Kitsap County Roads as well, including Skagit County to develop the Utility Road Clearing Task Force.

Which is not to add another level of bureaucracy in our system, it's really about ensuring we can share contact information that we can effectively come together and coordinate interagency response to removing trees and downed wire when we have another event like the December wind storm.

Narrator Says:

Additional points of emphasis for King County DOT include priority snow removal for Metro bus routes and a Transit Towing Partnership with the Washington State DOT.

The Public Health Department has committed to reaching out to vulnerable populations in emergency situations.

The County Office of Emergency Management is also working to establish better shelter coordination to fulfill sheltering needs during severe weather events.

‘Take Winter By Storm’s’ message is preparation.

Both on the part of the agencies involved and the citizens of King County.

City of Seattle's Barbara Graff Says:

One of the huge efforts that we've undertaken this season in preparation for winter storms, is a commitment to be able to share the kinds of information in the ways people want to get it so they will be convinced and effectively get themselves ready for winter storms.

You've heard us over and over again say 'it's coming you really have to do this, it's coming you really have to do this', but we've learned that by having a number of agencies that have some level of credibility as well as a number of messages strategically targeted where people are going to trust them and find them, there's more of a better chance that people will do something to get prepared.

Narrator Says:

Economic impacts on the region from storm damage can be significant as well.

Recently, economists estimated that shutting down King County’s flood plains would cost the region about $46 million a day.

Executive Sims is working with the King County council to secure funding this fall for a county-wide flood control district that will make much-needed repairs to our levees in the coming year and beyond.

King County Executive Ron Sims Says:

We learned last year that our levee system could not continue to absorb the huge pressures that were brought up by the volume of water we saw, one of our levees moved a quarter of an inch which may not seem like much, but we’re talking about a levee moving a quarter of an inch which is very significant.

Narrator Says:

For more information about the ‘Take Winter By Storm’ campaign, head to govlink.org/storm.

Return to Dot Flix home page

Updated:  November 02, 2007

DOT Home
Metro | Planning | Roadways | Alternatives
Happenings | Airport | Site Map

King County | News | Services | Comments | Search