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
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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 .
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 .
Monday, October 26, 2009
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.
* 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.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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 .
Monday, September 28, 2009
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 .
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 .
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
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
For more information, see the National Weather Service--Portland Office website:
http://www.weather.gov/portland
Thursday, September 17, 2009
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!
* 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!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
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 .
* 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 .
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