Fwd: OEM January Preparedness News

[Muriel Lawty]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Seattle Office of Emergency Management <Emergency...@subscriptions.seattle.gov>
Date: Thu, Jan 19, 2023 at 12:03 PM
Subject: OEM January Preparedness News
To: <m.g....@gmail.com>

King Tides and Ice Storms

Virtual Disaster Preparedness Classes   Learn how to prepare for major disasters that our community can face! Sign up for OEM Disaster Preparedness and Skills Classes:     Disaster Skills Training February 4, 1:30-3:30pm Disaster Preparedness: The Basics February 8, 6:00 - 7:30pm, March 8, 6:30-8:00pm, May 18th,6:30-8:00pm: Earthquake Home Retrofit April 29, 1:30 - 3:30pm Click here to sign up!   Hiring Community Safety Ambassadors OEM is hiring for a Khmer and Vietnamese speaking Community Safety Ambassador! Community Safety Ambassadors are contractors/vendors that help augment OEM's outreach and community engagement to non-English speaking communities. This includes teaching classes in language, tabeling at events, as well as providing culturally relevant input in OEM's engagement and planning for the community.  We are currently hiring for a Khmer and Vietnamese speaking CSA.  Please share with your community and network.  Click here to learn more! Prepare for King Tides January 23-25 Photo of South Park neighborhood flooding South Park Flooding  On December 27, 2022, the South Park Neighborhood of Seattle was flooded due to overtopping of the Duwamish River.  Flooding was caused by king tides, heavy rain runoff and melting of snow. This flood greatly impacted some residential homes and buildings in the neighborhood. King Tides are expected on Jan 23-25, below are some ways you can prepare for them! 1. Have a plan to move vehicles to higher ground BEFORE the king tide event. 2. Keep sandbags on hand AND know how to properly sandbag your property (see video below). 3. Do not walk through flood waters, this can be a safety issue. If you need to walk through flood waters, practice good hygiene and wash anything that has come into contact with the flood waters.  4. Get familiar with the elevation areas in your neighborhood and identify routes on how to get there. Click here to learn how proper sandbag techniques and how to sandbag your property!      Preparing for Ice Photo of icy streets in Seattle neighborhood, Dec 2022. Photo Courtesy of T.J McDonald.  On December 23rd, Seattle experienced an ice storm that greatly impacted the city. Hours of freezing rain resulted in icy streets and road conditions, causing impacts to public transportation as well as the closing of the Seatle Tacoma Airport. For many Seattle residents it was challenge to walk around neighborhoods, Seattle Fire Department reported an increase in number of calls relating to slips and falls. Seattle can expect to see more ice storms in the future, we encourage you to be prepared to the best of yoru ability.  Below are some tips on how you can better prepare for the next ice event: Avoid driving if you can, black ice is dangerous! Always have emergency supplies in your car, if you do plan to drive.  Learn how to shut off the main water valve for your home to prevent likelihood of pipes bursting from the freeze. Have extra food and emergency supplies in your home, you may not be able to leave your home for quite some time.  Invest in a pair of micro spikes or ice cleats for your shoes to offer more traction for walking if you need to leave the house.

Seattle Office of Emergency Management 105 5th Avenue South Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-233-5076 Manage Preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Contact Us  |  Help |  Privacy

This email was sent to m.g....@gmail.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: City of Seattle, Washington · 707 17th St, Suite 4000 · Denver, CO 80202