Photo courtesy of King County
"Taking Winter by Storm" was the focus of an awareness campaign this week in King County, Wash., where flood season has officially arrived across the Puget Sound region.
The Auburn Reporter reminded readers that the minor flooding that recently occurred in both urban and rural areas is a strong reminder that flooding can affect communities with little or no notice.
Heavy precipitation is a fact of life this time of year. Rainfall can swiftly cause a stream or river to flood, damaging homes, properties and businesses, and knowing how to prepare for the possibility of flooding is an essential part of living in the Pacific Northwest.
The "Take Winter by Storm” event focused on using sandbags, but also gave residents ways they can prepare themselves and their property for high water.
“King County has experienced 11 federally declared flood disasters since 1990, and flooding can occur along a river or stream at any time of the year,” King County Executive Kurt Triplett told the newspaper. “It is only common sense to learn some of the basics about protecting themselves and their property.”
One way to combat rising water is the proper use of sandbags, and experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were on hand at Auburn’s Les Gove Park on Monday to give a brief tutorial on proper sandbag construction and use.
As a demonstration, student teams from Auburn’s three high schools – Auburn High, Auburn Riverside and Auburn Mountainview – competed to see which team could fill the most sandbags in 10 minutes.
The finished sandbags were delivered to needy citizens in the Auburn area by volunteers from State Farm Insurance, an IBHS member company. The event also highlighted the need for volunteers to help in their communities when emergencies arise.
The Web site, www.takewinterbystorm.org, is available year-round to help residents better prepare, along with providing links to regional resources for information about the weather, power outages, flooding, shelters and assistance agencies.
King County offered this information for preparing for the possibility of flooding, and what to do when flooding occurs:
• Minimize flood damage by storing valuables and electronics higher, and by moving vehicles and equipment to high ground before flood waters rise.
• Dispose of hazardous chemicals such as lawn and gardening herbicides at one of the county’s household hazardous waste sites to help reduce harmful contaminates in flood waters.
• Never drive around any road closure sign erected because of flooding; the number-one cause of deaths during flood events is the failure of drivers to heed road closure signs, resulting in them being swept away by floodwaters.
