Friday, May 22, 2009

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 .

Monday, May 4, 2009

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