Our Voice: Devastating storm skirts Tri-Cities ... this time
Last week Tri-Citians got a reminder that winter weather can be inconvenient.
Freezing rain and a topping of snow caused slick road conditions, school delays and cancellations Tuesday morning. But by the afternoon, the temperature warmed and roads ended up simply sloppy and wet. Life was back to routine for most of us, and Thanksgiving would go on as planned.
Whew.
Our neighbors to the north in Spokane County, however, have been devastated by winter’s wrath. If anything, besides counting our blessings, it should make us all pause for a moment and consider if we would be ready if the elements ever caused the same kind of destruction here.
The winter storm that blew through two weeks ago, with wind gusts up to 70 mph, damaged trees and homes, and flooded roads. Three people died when trees fell on their vehicles.
To add to the calamity, the windstorm caused a widespread a power outage throughout the county. Freezing temperatures added to the misery. Avista Corp., the region’s largest utility, was working with extra crews around the clock, but it would not be a quick fix.
The damage was just too great, and the cold added to the delay.
An estimated 29,000 people had gone a week without power, surviving at the homes of friends and family or spending time at libraries, coffee shops, the mall and other places where they could stay warm during the day. Some got hotel rooms. Schools were turned into shelters.
Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency. He visited Spokane to assess the damage and talk with city leaders. Members of Washington’s congressional delegation, including Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, urged the federal Department of Transportation to release emergency relief money to help with recovery efforts.
It is a terrible situation, and the Tri-Cities is fortunate it missed being in the path of what is now being called the worst winter storm in the history of Spokane.
In the wake of this, now would be a good time for our community leaders to review whatever emergency preparedness plans they have, and make sure they are up to date. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from Spokane officials.
It wouldn’t hurt if everyone took stock, personally, of how they might survive without power for an extended time.
There are many websites offering advice on how to be prepared for an emergency, and they all suggest making sure you have flashlights and batteries, a supply of bottled water, a three-day supply of packaged food, cash and a first aid kit.
Other suggestions include:
▪ Make sure you have an alternative way to charge your cellphone. Car chargers work well.
▪ You should know where the manual release lever is for your electric garage door opener and know how to operate it.
▪ Make sure your gas tank is fairly full. Gas stations rely on electricity to operate their pumps.
▪ Those with a medical device that requires electricity should have a back-up plan in case of a power outage.
These are just a few suggestions, but they might make a difference in an emergency situation. The devastation in Spokane is a warning to the rest of us, and it would be wise to heed it.
This story was originally published November 29, 2015 at 12:26 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Devastating storm skirts Tri-Cities ... this time."