Tornado in Longview!

What a crazy day yesterday!  We wanted to extend a sincere thanks to all of the first responders, utility crews, business owners and bystanders that came together in the aftermath of this extremely unexpected event.  We are so glad that no one was injured!

Here are a few links to news items regarding yesterday's event:
http://www.kptv.com/story/26877285/possible-funnel-cloud-tornado-reported-in-longview

http://tdn.com/news/local/tornado-damages-parts-of-longview-kelso/article_4bb04644-5af2-11e4-af5d-8f8496f007d9.html


You can follow the chronology and see people's pictures on our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CowlitzCountyDEM

Wind and Rain on the way

Wind and rain is headed our way!  According to the Portland National Weather Service, the Lower Columbia area can expect heavy rainfall beginning late Tuesday night that will continue into Thursday morning.  There is potential for 1-3 inches of rain and winds between 30-35 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 in higher elevation areas.    

As the leaves are beginning to cover both the ground and the storm drains, there is potential for short duration street flooding and slick roadways.

Water Storage and Treatment Webinar

*This comes to us from Nitro-Pak, a disaster supply kit company.  They are offering a free water storage and treatment online webinar on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.  Click on the "Reserve Your Spot Now" link to RSVP. News of the Ebola virus and the approaching flu season should not cause us to panic, but it should remind us of another type of emergency we need to be prepared for: a quarantine. Would your family be prepared to be isolated to avoid the outbreak of the flu or other illness? Water should be at the top of your quarantine prep list. To help you be prepared, I want to offer you a chance to learn from emergency water expert Glenn Meder. Glenn's webinar on how to purify water in an emergency situation generated one of the best response rates we've ever had.  That's why I've invited Glenn back to offer his FREE one-hour class again on Wednesday, October 22nd at 8 p.m. CDT, (9 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. MDT / 6 p.m. PDT).  RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW! We've invited Glenn back to show us how to provide safe drinking water independent of supply chains and pre-stored water supplies.   Don't miss out on this vital education. Register now!   Thanks! Harry Weyandt President, Nitro-Pak

Why Drop, Cover, and Hold On?

The Great Washington Shake Out is coming!  On 10/16 at 10:16 a.m. over 800,000 Washingtonians have pledged to do a Drop, Cover, Hold earthquake drill.  Will you be one?

Why is it important to do a Drop, Cover, and Hold On drill? To react quickly you must practice often. You may only have seconds to protect yourself in an earthquake, before strong shaking knocks you down--or drops something on you. Practicing helps you be ready to respond.

• If you are inside a building, move no more than a few steps, then Drop, Cover and Hold On:
  • DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!),
  • Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
  • HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops.
  Stay indoors till the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. In most buildings in Washington you are safer if you stay where you are until the shaking stops.


• If you in a low lying coastal area, immediately move inland and to higher ground because a tsunami could follow the earthquake. Do not return until local officials announce it is safe to reenter coastal areas.


• If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, you should find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, streetlights, and power lines, then Drop, Cover and Hold On. Stay there until the shaking stops.


• If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.

Ground shaking during an earthquake is seldom the cause of injury. Most earthquake-related injuries and deaths are caused by collapsing walls and roofs, flying glass and falling objects. It is extremely important for a person to move as little as possible to reach the place of safety he or she has identified because most injuries occur when people try to move more than a short distance during the shaking.

Look around you now, before an earthquake. Identify safe places such as under a sturdy piece of furniture or against an interior wall in your home, office or school so that when the shaking starts you can respond quickly. An immediate response to move to the safe place can save lives. And that safe place should be within a few steps to avoid injury from flying debris.

Disaster Preparedness Activities That Don't Cost a Thing!

10 Totally Free Prepping Items To Do

From:

http://livinglifeinruraliowa.blogspot.com/2013/11/10-totally-free-prepping-things-to-do.html

1. Learn to get around your house in the dark. Think about the days when you were a teenager and had to sneak in and out of your house without your parents hearing. You didn't do that? Oh. Moving on....

Learn your escape plan and be able to get around in the dark in case of no power or someone strange being in your house. This might mean you will have to clean your floors and move furniture so you can get around safely. Also, be sure your bag, purse, keys, phone, wallet, etc. is in one, logical place for you to find in the dark and get out safely.

2. Inventory your things. Do you know what you have? Where is it? What are you missing? You need to make an inventory of your prepping supplies and things with where the item is located. If the items can be easily located, you can respond to a situation or emergency much, much more quickly. This inventory should be for food, ammo, supplies, first aid supplies, etc. Everything should be inventoried.

3. Organize your food. Put your food together in logical groups: baking, vegetable, fruits, meats, spices, condiments, sauces, etc. Get even more specific than that - put all your salt together in one place, for example. Put items in plastic bags in glass jars so the food will last longer. Write the expiration dates clearly on the food items so you know to grab the oldest food first. Organize your food to have the oldest food in front and newest in the back or on the bottom. With everything organized, you can send your kids to get the food items you want without the stress of telling them 30,000 times where it is!

4. Can your meats. Look in your freezer and look at the meats that are easy to can. I like to can chicken, stew meat, ground meats, and turkey. If you lose power for multiple days, you can still have a good supply of meat to feed your family and reduce the waste of what you might lose. Meat is too expensive to waste!

5. Make a family preparedness plan. This is a good thing for the whole family can participate in. You need to decide where to go, where to meet, what to grab, how to act, and what to do. You need to make multiple plans in case that Plan A doesn't work, your family knows what to do otherwise. Make sure you also include emergency contacts, medical records, and an inventory of your household goods and keep them ALL in the same place.

6. Write out your priority/wish list. This one is my favorite to do and it keeps me focused! What do you want to get done around the property and house? What do you wish you could do or buy for your preparedness goals? Write down what you need to buy or make. Take this list shopping with you or keep it buy the computer in case you get a little money for those items. Dreaming and planning cost nothing!

7. Practice your skills! Practice those skills which you feel you need refining. Practice makes you better! If you feel your target shooting needs some practice, set up some cans on a fence post and start practicing! Fill a feed sack or a pet food bag with grass clipping or dead leaves. Get the bow and arrow out and start practicing! Need to get more comfortable with sewing? Get some material out and make a pillow while practicing making a straight seam. The possibilities are endless!

8. Complete projects! I have projects that I have all the stuff I need for the project, I just haven't done it. I have started projects and I haven't finished them. I have total confidence I am not the only one! Get your projects done!

9. Organize, clean out, put together your Every Day Carry (EDC) Bag. This can be your purse, a tote bag, backpack, or whatever you feel comfortable carrying with you in the car or everywhere you go. Everyone carries different things with them and most of what you carry depends on where you are at in life (baby, kids, no kids). I like to carry extra cash, flashlight, personal items, knife, scissors, pens/pencils, food, small first-aid kit, small sewing kit, gloves, hat, and other things I might need. This bag is what would be your go-to bag as well as your bag you grab if you need to walk anywhere due to car breakdowns, emergencies, etc.

10. Clean out your vehicles and check their fluids and tires. Anytime is a good time to vacuum out the vehicle and get the trash out of it. Wipe down the surfaces and organize what needs to stay in the vehicle. When you get down with that, check the fluid levels in the vehicles and check the tire pressure. Top off what needs to be topped off and pump up the tires if needed. Your vehicle needs to be ready to go anytime you are!

With winter and weekend coming, now is a good time to get these things done! You will not spend any money if you don't want to. If you find yourself in a position where you might, see if you have anything that might work in its place! Be creative!