Green Acres in Castle Rock is now open. Sandy Bend Road is closed at Waters Road. PH 10 is now open between Westside Highway and downtown Castle Rock.
The 2000 block of Holcomb Loop Road is limited to one lane passenger vehicle use only.
State Route 503 (Lewis River Road) is closed between MP 30 and MP 32.
Swift Reservoir has not experienced any damage to the dam this morning after a small slide.
There are still people isolated in the county. There are approximately 20 homes at the end of Kalama River Road with no access; Cowlitz County Public Works is working with Weyerhaeuser on an alternate ingress/egress route.
There are some homes on Mahaffey Road and Coal Creek Road which may be isolated.
As the recovery efforts begin, people should be aware of basic things they should do after a flood:
1. Proper protection when cleaning up a resident or business that has been flooded
a. Wear gloves, boots, eye protection, and a respiratory mask when cleaning up.
b. Open all doors and windows. Use fans if possible to air out the building.
c. Wash all clothes and linens in hot water when water supply allows.
d. Discard mattresses and stuffed furniture; they can’t be adequately cleaned.
e. Wash dirt and mud from walls, counters and hard surfaced floors with soap and water. Disinfect by wiping surfaces with a solution of one cup bleach per gallon of water.
f. Discard all food that has come into contact with floodwater. Canned food is alright, but remove label and thoroughly wash the can before opening. Remark the can with permanent marker.
g. Do not drink from your water source until your water is confirmed to be safe, use clean bottled water.
To assist in this process, 3,000 clean kits will be delivered from Hermiston, Oregon to the local area for those who suffered flood damage. There will be 2 – 3 kits per household available at a location to be disclosed later. Items such as gloves, sponges, cleaning solvents and disinfectants will be included in the kits.
2. Information on how to decontaminate impacted wells.
a. Don’t use water until it has been confirmed safe
b. Decontaminate and disinfect well following approved guidelines
c. Have your well water tested
d. Water testing is available through the Health Department
3. Do not use your septic system when water is standing on the ground around it. When the soil has dried, it is probably safe to again use your septic system. To be sure, contact Building and Planning at (360) 577-3052 with septic concerns.
4. When floodwaters have receded, please watch out for weakened road surfaces.
5. Mold may be more likely to make some people with asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems sick.
6. Do not mix cleaning products together or add bleach to other chemicals.
7. Wash hands frequently and properly using warm water to wet hand, apply soap and rub hands together vigorously for 20 seconds prior to rinsing in warm water.
How to Deal with Dead Animals
1. Residents of Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties can dispose of dead animals at the Cowlitz County Landfill.
Direction for Displaced River Camps
1. Individuals who experienced the loss of their camp due to the rising rivers are encouraged to contact Emergency Mental Health at (360) 425-6064 or 1-800-803-8833
2. Hygiene kits are available through Emergency Mental Health
Remember to Care for Your Mental Health
It is normal to feel anxious about your family’s health and safety - mental health resources are available, residents are encouraged to seek out support.
Information on Immunizations
1. Although no specific vaccinations are recommended for flood events, Public Health officials recommend that everyone—general public, health care providers, and first responders—maintain their routine vaccinations in accordance with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. By staying up to date with recommended vaccinations everyone is better prepared for emergencies. In particular, health care providers and first responders should ensure they are up to date with tetanus vaccinations:
a. Tetanus booster is recommended if no documentation of a booster during the past 10 years
b. Booster can be either Td (tetanus/diphtheria) or Tdap (tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis)
2. First responders are advised to get a tetanus booster if they have not had one within 10 years. If they have an open wound that has been exposed to flood waters and have not received a tetanus shot in the past five years they should have the wound and tetanus status evaluated by a physician within 24 hours of being injured. First responders are encouraged see their primary care physician for immunization.
3. Community members or First Responders who have a flood related wound, have not had a tetanus shot in the past five years, and do not have health care coverage or a primary care provider can contact the Health Department at (360) 414-5599 about receiving a tetanus immunization. Afterhours and on weekends individuals meeting these criteria are advised to go to alternative urgent care centers.
More information is available on the Washington State Department of Health Web site at http://www.doh.wa.gov/Topics/weather.htm.
Information on Debris Removal
The following describes the criteria that Cowlitz County response agencies will use to evaluate the eligibility of debris removal work from private property.
Generally, debris removal from private property following a disaster is the responsibility of the property owner. However, large-scale disasters may deposit enormous quantities of debris on private property over a large area resulting in widespread immediate threats to the public-at-large. In these cases, the State or local government may need to enter private property to remove debris. The requirement that debris removal be in the “public interest" in is defined as being necessary to:
1. eliminate immediate threats to life, public health, and safety;
2. eliminate immediate threats of significant damage to improved property;
3. or ensure economic recovery of the affected community to the benefit of the community-at-large.
In these situations, debris removal from private property may be considered to be in the public interest and thus may be performed.
Information regarding road closures and other emergency information and photographs can be found on:
www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/DEM/roads or http://www.cowlitzcountydem.blogspot.com/
This will be the last press release sent today. The Joint Information Center (JIC) will be closing at 8:00 p.m. tonight. The Cowlitz County Emergency Operations Center will also be closing at 8:00 PM.
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