Hazardous Weather Outlook for Columbia County

Hazardous Weather Outlook for Columbia County for Wednesday, December 30th. Please be careful when travelling today, as there is still snow in some areas and freezing rain is also possible.

The state highways (US 30, OR 47, OR 202) look good right now with patches of ice occasionally. If you plan to travel these routes, please check http://tripcheck.net for the latest information.

Fire District Volunteer Recruitment

Local fire districts are looking for volunteers to help them help our communities. Are you interested? Do you have what it takes? Contact your local fire district office today:

* Columbia River Fire and Rescue (includes St. Helens, Columbia City and Rainier)--503-397-2990 (http://www.crfr.com)
* Scappoose Fire--503-543-5026 (http://www.srfd.us)
* Clatskanie Fire--503-728-2025
* Vernonia Fire--503-429-8252 (http://www.vernoniafire.us)
* Mist-Birkenfeld Fire--503-755-2710

H1N1 Vaccine Available

Columbia Health District Public Health Authority (Public Health) will be holding a H1N1 public vaccination clinic on Tuesday, Dec. 29th, 2009 from 10 AM-2 PM at the St. Helens High School Cafeteria, 2375 Gable Road in St. Helens. Vaccines are now available to everyone in the community who has not already received a vaccine.

Those attending this clinic can expect to wait in line and fill out paperwork for each person with them (such as children) receiving a vaccine. A limited number of vouchers for Columbia County Rider transportation are available by contacting the Public Health office (see contact information below).

Those with health insurance may receive their vaccination now at the following places if they choose:

* OHSU Clinic--Scappoose
* Legacy Clinic--St. Helens
* Dr. Kelly's--St. Helens
* Providence Clinic--Vernonia

Those who are underinsured, are without insurance, or their private providers do not have the H1N1 vaccine on-hand may schedule an appointment at Public Health's office.

To contact Public Health with any questions, please call 503-397-4651.

Winter Storm Watch Canceled

The winter storm watch for Columbia County for Dec. 12th, 2009 has been canceled. The storm apparently stalled near Salem and went more eastward.

Winter Storm Watch for Columbia County

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1029 AM PST THU DEC 10 2009

...A WINTER STORM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT MUCH OF NORTHWEST OREGON
AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON LATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...

ORZ005-006-WAZ022-039-110630-
/O.NEW.KPQR.WS.A.0008.091212T0400Z-091213T0200Z/
LOWER COLUMBIA-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-I-
5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ST. HELENS...HILLSBORO...OREGON CITY...
GRESHAM...LONGVIEW...KELSO...VERNONIA...BATTLE GROUND...WASHOUGAL
1029 AM PST THU DEC 10 2009

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO
AREAS...AND THE LOWER COLUMBIA AND I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ
COUNTY...AND THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH FOR FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* PRECIPITATION MAY BEGIN AS EARLY AS LATE FRIDAY EVENING.

* PRECIPITATION IS LIKELY TO START AS SNOW...SLEET OR FREEZING
 RAIN IN THE PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AREA...AS SNOW FURTHER
 NORTH.

* SOUTH AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE METRO AREA MAY CHANGE TO RAIN DURING
 THE DAY SATURDAY...WITH SNOW SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN CONTINUING
 ELSEWHERE.

* WINTRY PRECIPITATION MAY CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.

* THERE IS A GREATER THAN NORMAL DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS
 FORECAST...SO CHECK WITH LATER FORECASTS FOR MORE DETAILS.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS

Preparedness Gifts for Christmas

Gifting Peace Of Mind

Holiday Gifts that can Save Lives

Release Date: December 8, 2009
Release Number: R10-10-003

» 2009 Region X News Releases

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Each and every year millions of American lives are disrupted by natural disasters ranging from earthquakes and tsunamis to floods and wildfire. But all disasters—large or small—share a common attribute: they focus attention on the importance of disaster preparedness and the critical need to take action before disaster strikes. The trick is to convert good intentions into good deeds, and according to Acting FEMA Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger, there's no time like the holidays.

"Disaster-ready gifts can save lives, and are a wonderful way of welcoming in 2010," said Hunsinger. "Helping to better prepare neighbors, friends and loved ones for emergencies is a great way to say 'I care.'"

Emergency and preparedness items that might make great gifts this Holiday Season include:

• NOAA Weather Radios and extra batteries.
• Enrollment in a CPR or first-aid class.
• Smoke detectors.
• Appropriate fire extinguishers (kitchen, garage, car).
• Disaster kits for homes, offices and autos (first aid kits, food, water and prescription medications for 72 hours, extra clothing, blankets, flashlights).
• Foldable ladders for second-story escape in a fire.
• Car kits (emergency flares, shovels, ice scrapers, flashlights and fluorescent distress flags).
• Pet Disaster Kits (food, water, leashes, dishes and carrying case or crate).
• A camp stove with extra fuel.
• The gift of a gardener to cut back combustible vegetation from wildfire-vulnerable homes.
• National Flood Insurance.

A wealth of information and preparedness tips is available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's READY.GOV site at: www.ready.gov and from FEMA at: www.fema.gov.

Stay informed of FEMA's activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema; follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/femainfocus twitter.com/femaregion10 and on FaceBook at www.facebook.com/fema.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Flood Watch Canceled

The flood watch for Columbia County has been canceled. However, it is "winter", so make sure you are prepared. Check out http://www.ready.gov for more details.

Flood Watch Extended Through Late Friday

Flood watch for portions of Columbia County extended through late Friday, 11/20/09. Check the National Weather Service--Portland website for the latest weather information:

http://www.weather.gov/portland

Flood Watch for Columbia County; Potential Landslides

FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR223 PM PST WED NOV 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... NORTH OREGON COAST-COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-WILLAPA HILLS-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASTORIA...CANNON BEACH...TILLAMOOK...VERNONIA...JEWELL...TRASK...FRANCES...RYDERWOOD...RAYMOND...LONG BEACH...CATHLAMET

* FROM MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON

* HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE WILLAPA HILLS AND 2 TO 3 INCHES IN THE NORTH OREGON COAST RANGE AND ALONG THE NORTH OREGON AND SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.

* RIVERS OF GREATEST CONCERN FOR FLOODING INCLUDE THE WILLAPA...GRAYS AND NASELLE RIVERS IN SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON...THE LOWER NEHALEM RIVER IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY OREGON AND THE NECANICUM RIVER IN CLATSOP COUNTY OREGON. IF THE FRONTAL BAND MOVES FURTHER SOUTH THE WILSON AND TRASK RIVERS COULD ALSO BE IMPACTED. THERE IS LESS OF A THREAT FOR THE WILSON AND TRASK RIVERS EXCEPT ALONG THE LOWEST REACHES WHERE HIGH TIDES COULD RESULT IN FLOODING ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ONCURRENT FORECASTS.LANDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THIS FLOOD EVENT.PEOPLE...STRUCTURES AND ROADS LOCATED BELOW STEEP SLOPES...INCANYONS AND NEAR THE MOUTHS OF CANYONS MAY BE AT SERIOUS RISKFROM RAPIDLY MOVING LANDSLIDES.YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLEFLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BEPREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.THE NEXT UPDATE FOR THIS WATCH WILL BE ISSUED BY 1 AM THURSDAY.

Regional Sandbag Class

Do you know there are proper techniques to sandbagging during flooding events in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness? You can learn how to do it right at a FREE class provided by our partners at Cowlitz County Emergency Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The class will be held on Tuesday, November 17th at 6 PM at the Cowlitz County Public Works Bldg. at 1600 South 13th in Kelso, Washington--right across the river from Rainier. Refreshments will be provided and there will be a drawing for door prizes! If you would like to attend, please contact Jennifer at Cowlitz County EM at 360-577-3130 or engkrafj@co.cowlitz.wa.us .

H1N1 Vaccine Clinic Oct. 30, 2009

Columbia Health District is offering a public H1N1 vaccine clinic on Friday, October 30, 2009 from 9 AM-4:30 PM (or until vaccine is gone). Vaccines will be provided free of charge only to those in the priority groups, such as:

* Pregnant women
* Children 6 months to 18 years of age
* Young adults ages 19-24
* Persons 25-64 who have health conditions associated with higher risk complications from influenza (asthma, compromised immune systems, etc.)
* Healthcare personnel
* Emergency medical services personnel (firefighters, law enforcement, EMS providers, correctional personnel, public safety dispatchers)

The vaccines will be available as injection shots and FluMist. For more information, please contact Columbia Health District at 503-397-4651.

Tsunami Advisory In Effect

Coast and River Travelers: The National Weather Service has issued a tsunami advisory for the entire Oregon Coast and part of the lower Columbia River effective 330 PM Pacific. This is NOT a watch or warning. For more information, go to http://weather.gov/portland .

Clatskanie Exercise on Wednesday 9/30

Clatskanie Elementary School will be involved with an earthquake exercise drill on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 from 9-11 AM. Residents and visitors to the Clatskanie area may notice emergency vehicles and evacuating students near the school building; this is all part of the drill.

Participants in the exercise include, but are not limited to, the following: Clatskanie School District, City of Clatskanie, Clatskanie Rural Fire Protection District, Columbia 911 and Columbia County Emergency Management.

If you have questions, please contact Derek White at 503-366-3905 or Derek.White@co.columbia.or.us .

Red Flag Expires at 5 PM Today (9/22)

The National Weather Service in Portland has set the expiration time of the Red Flag Warning for Columbia County for 5 PM today (Tuesday 9/22). Rain is not likely in the forecast, however, so please be careful regarding fires. Check with your local fire district office regarding open burning.

Red Flag Warning

Columbia County is under a Red Flag Warning from midnight Sunday, Sept. 20 through noon Tuesday, Sept. 22. Please take care to not start ANY fires during this time period. Report ANY and ALL fires immediately to 911. This is a potentially dangerous situation in which fires can spread quickly. Please help do your part to prevent them!

For more information, see the National Weather Service--Portland Office website:

http://www.weather.gov/portland

Why Prepare in Columbia County?

Why should one prepare for emergencies in Columbia County? What types of things could happen here? Well.....

* We have had three presidentially-declared disasters in the past three years due to winter storms, sometimes stranding people at home for days or forcing them to evacuate;

* We have a major highway transportation route coming through our county via U.S. 30, which carry a lot of trucks hauling potentially hazardous chemicals;

* We have industrial plants either located in or near our county that produce or use massive amounts of potentially hazardous chemicals;

* We live alongside a major international shipping route called the Columbia River, carrying cargo from ports halfway around the world;

* We have a rail line in the county that can carry potentially hazardous chemicals;

* We are near a major international airport (Portland International Airport) and have many large jets flying overhead at almost all hours of the day;

* We are vulnerable to wildfires due to the amount of forested lands we have;

* We are near a major fault zone called the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which can cause massive earthquakes that will equal that of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake;

* We have had and can still have landslides at various parts of the county.

These are just a few of the possibilities. This is not meant to scare you but instead to make you aware of the fact that we do have things that have and can hurt us if and when things don't go right. Failing to plan is planning to fail, so make sure you know what to do during any emergency. Just a few moments of preparedness can save your life or the life of someone you work or live with. Go to http://www.ready.gov to get started!

September is National Preparedness Month

As you may or may not know, September is National Preparedness Month. It is a time to review or develop emergency plans both at home and at work in order to make sure everyone is doing what they can to be ready for any kind of emergency. Here are a few things you should do this month:

* Develop or review emergency plans at home and work.
* Put together a preparedness kit filled with supplies that will help you survive at least 72 hours. If you have already put such a kit together, you need to check the kit and replace anything outdated or worn.
* Check fire extinguishers and replace smoke detector batteries.
* Look for safety hazards around the home, such as worn electrical cords or bad door locks.

This is just a list of examples. For more information, go to www.ready.gov . If you need assistance with any preparedness kits or plans, feel free to contact Columbia County Emergency Management at 503-366-3905 or Derek.White@co.columbia.or.us .

Excessive Heat Warning

The National Weather Service in Portland has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Columbia County, in effect from 11 AM to 10 PM Wednesday. See their website for more details: http://weather.gov/portland

We Are On Facebook!

Columbia County Emergency Management is now on Facebook in addition to Twitter! If you have Facebook, do a search for Columbia County Emergency Management and join today!

Excessive Heat This Week

We are in for more warm weather! The National Weather Service in Portland has placed Columbia County under a heat advisory for Tuesday (8/18) and an excessive heat watch for Wednesday (8/19). Try to stay cool and hydrated! For more information, go to: http://weather.gov/portland

Cooling Center in Scappoose Friday 7/31

There will be a cooling center in Scappoose on Friday, July 31. It will be located at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, located at 51555 SW Old Portland Road in Scappoose. It will be open from Noon-8 PM, with a dinner from 5-6:30 PM. For more information, call 503-543-2110.

Public Information About Heat

Columbia County has its Public Inquiry Center open to take calls regarding how to stay cool and how to find cooling centers in your area. Call 503-397-0005 for more information.

Hot Weather and Cooling Centers

This extreme heat continues. There are various cooling centers open around Columbia County:

* Vernonia: City Library
* Clatskanie: Rec Center and Presbyterian Church
* Scappoose: Rose Valley Retirement Center
* St. Helens, Warren: Warren Community Fellowship Church

The centers will be open from 10 AM-8 PM through at least Thursday, July 30, 2009.

Those needing transport to a cooling center can call CCRider Dispatch at 503-366-0159 to get a ride free of charge.

Hot Temperatures This Week

Mid- to upper-90s most of the week. Please try to stay cool and out of the sun when possible. Drink plenty of water and don't forget the suntan lotion to keep from getting burned. Remember that this hot, dry weather can also make fires more likely so make sure to follow the burn ban and be extra careful with grilling so you don't cause a fire.

For the latest on this hot weather, go to:

http://www.weather.gov/portland

Earthquake Talks

The Columbia County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Commission (HSEMC) and the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) are pleased to present two discussions on the threat of earthquakes in Oregon. The events will occur at:

* Friday, August 7th from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Scappoose City Hall, located at 33568 Columbia Avenue in Scappoose.

* Saturday, August 8th from 10 AM-Noon at the Clatskanie School Board Office, located at 555 SW Bryant Street in Clatskanie.

The presenter will be James Roddey, an earth sciences information officer for DOGAMI. Roddey has given numerous talks around Oregon about the earthquakes that have occurred in the Pacific Northwest and what Native American legend, history and science tell us about these events.

The talks are free and open to the public. In addition, there will be a drawing for a free preparedness kit. For more information, please contact Columbia County Emergency Management at 503-366-3905 or Derek.White@co.columbia.or.us .

Heat Advisory for Columbia County, Oregon

Heat Advisory issued by the National Weather Service for Columbia County, Oregon for Thursday, July 2nd and Friday, July 3rd. For more information, please visit http://www.weather.gov/portland .

St. Helens Boil Order--June 2, 2009

The City of St. Helens has issued a boil order to all residents and businesses. People should boil their water for cooking, drinking, dish-cleaning and other similar uses prior to using. This request is in place until 9 AM Thursday, June 4th. For questions, call the City of St. Helens at 503-397-6272.

Columbia Alert Network

Columbia 911, our emergency dispatching and communications partner, has a system that it can use during emergency situations to alert citizens and employers in the service area. The Columbia Alert Network, also known as CAN, has been in place for a few years now and has been used during emergencies such as imminent flooding or landslides. Emergency responders and government officials use CAN to provide information regarding the emergency as well as instructions on what to do, such as evacuation procedures or detour routes.

CAN already has every listed and unlisted landline phone number in Columbia County as provided by the phone companies. However, it is up to each individual to provide Columbia 911 with cell or VoIP (internet) phone numbers as they do not have these numbers. It is important to sign these numbers up so that you can stay informed of major emergencies if you are away from your home or you do not have a landline phone.

To get registered, go to: http://www.columbia911.com .

Severe Weather Week

Info from the National Weather Service....

"The week of May 3-9 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in the Pacific Northwest, including the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington. This is an excellent time for all individuals, families, businesses, schools, radio and television stations to review their spring and summer storm preparedness plans. It is especially important for new arrivals to the Pacific Northwest to become familiar with NOAA's National Weather Service Watch and Warning definitions, and their safety procedures.

"Spring in the Pacific Northwest can bring snow one day, then thunderstorms the next. The chance of severe thunderstorms will be increasing through the next several weeks. Are you prepared for severe thunderstorms that produce large hail, tornadoes, flash flooding, mudslides and even lightning caused wildfires? Are you ready for storms along the coast? This is the time to learn more about severe weather, develop severe weather preparedness plans, and test vital communications. To help our communities learn more about these dangers, NOAA's National Weather Service will issue Public Information Statements throughout the week to discuss:

MONDAY - Flood and flash flood safety
TUESDAY - Tornadoes and tornado safety, or Special Marine Warnings
WEDNESDAY - Wind, Hail, and Lightning safety
THURSDAY - Wildfires
FRIDAY - NWS Watch and Warning program
SATURDAY - NOAA Weather Radio

"Remember, in times of severe weather, you can get all these vital NOAA/National Weather Service messages via NOAA Weather Radio, your favorite local media, or through NOAA's National Weather Service websites."

For more information, visit the NWS Portland website at www.weather.gov/portland .

H1N1 Update

Columbia County is assisting our partner, Columbia Health District, with monitoring and responding to the H1N1 (aka swine flu) incident. For more information, please visit:

Columbia Health District--www.chdpublichealth.com

State of Oregon H1N1 Flu Website--www.flu.oregon.gov

Centers for Disease Control--www.cdc.gov/swineflu

Welcome to Columbia County EM's Blog!

Thank you for visiting Columbia County, Oregon Emergency Management's blog! We hope to use this blog to provide you with information about preparing your family and business for emergencies, as well as updates on current emergencies as they occur in the future. Please check back soon for more information!