Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Thunderstorms Possible This Afternoon and Evening
Thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and tonight over the south Washington and northwest Oregon Cascades and possibly adjacent valleys.
Here is the full text of the warning:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 453 AM PDT WED AUG 24 2011 ORZ003-004-006>014-WAZ019-023-039-040-250400- COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON- CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA- CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY- WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS- NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES-CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY- CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY-UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY- SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA- SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VERNONIA...JEWELL...TRASK... GRANDE RONDE...TIDEWATER...SWISSHOME...HILLSBORO...PORTLAND... OREGON CITY...GRESHAM...SALEM...MCMINNVILLE...DALLAS...EUGENE... CORVALLIS...ALBANY...HOOD RIVER...CASCADE LOCKS... MULTNOMAH FALLS...SANDY...SILVER FALLS STATE PARK...SWEET HOME... GOVERNMENT CAMP...DETROIT...SANTIAM PASS...VIDA...LOWELL... COTTAGE GROVE...MCKENZIE BRIDGE...OAKRIDGE...WILLAMETTE PASS... PARKDALE...ODELL...COLDWATER RIDGE VISITORS CENTER... MOUNT ST. HELENS...STEVENSON...SKAMANIA...VANCOUVER... BATTLE GROUND...WASHOUGAL...TOUTLE...ARIEL...COUGAR 453 AM PDT WED AUG 24 2011
...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON CASCADES AND POSSIBLY OVER THE ADJACENT VALLEYS...
VERY WARM WEATHER COMBINED WITH HIGHER THAN NORMAL DEW POINTS AND A WEATHER DISTURBANCE NEAR THE CALIFORNIA COAST THAT WILL BE SPREADING SOME MOISTURE ACROSS WESTERN OREGON THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ARE EXPECTED CAUSE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF TONIGHT.
THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE OREGON CASCADES AND CASCADE FOOTHILLS. GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH OR HIGHER AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT OVER THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY...IN THE OREGON COAST RANGE... AND NORTH THROUGH CLARK COUNTY INTO THE SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES AND FOOTHILLS.
BE SURE TO TAKE COVER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH YOUR LOCATION TODAY OR TONIGHT.
Please check the National Weather Service's Portland Office page for developing information.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Recovery Workshop in Clackamas
Sign up to help hone your skills in building community resilience and increase your effectiveness in all phases of emergency management. This workshop is open to all.
Register to attend this disaster training and participate in recognizing the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 in a meaningful, proactive and life-saving way. Click here to register: http://disastertraining.eventbrite.com
New Hope Community church is located at 11731 SE Stevens Rd, Portland, OR 97086
Storm King Incident Survivor to Speak at Scappoose High
Please join us for this presentation as Kim describes her experiences that day, and the steps she took to gain strength and overcome the trauma of being a surviving co-worker. The presentation will take place this Thursday, August 25th at 7pm in the Scappoose High School Auditorium.
Please contact Division Chief Ron Youngberg if you have questions at (503) 397-2990.
This talk is geared toward public safety, but interested individuals are welcome to attend as well.
National Weather Service Open House this Saturday
The National Weather Service is hosting an open house for the public at their office in Portland this Saturday, August 27th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
You can drop in anytime during the event and stay as long as you want. The NWS will have 10-15 minute presentations at the top and bottom of every hour (e.g., 11:00, 11:30, etc) and offer tours of the facility. You're invited to discuss topics of interest to you with staff on hand.
Some of the areas you can tour and topics discussed or demonstrated are:
Weather Satellite Imagery
Doppler Weather Radar
NOAA Weather Radio (What is it and why do I need one)
Real-time River Stage Displays
Getting Weather from the Internet
Please drop in and say hello to our partners at the NWS. The address is below.
NWS Portland
5241 NE 122nd Ave
Portland, OR 97230
Thursday, August 11, 2011
E. Coli Strawberry Sales Locations
Click here to view the list: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/strawberries.shtml
Three of the locations were in Columbia County.
Sixteen people in Washington, Clatsop, Multnomah counties and Northwestern Oregon have been infected in the past month. The farm that grew the berries no longer has any of the of them on the market.
Anyone who thinks they might have tainted berries is encouraged to throw them out if the berries were purchased during the dates outlined in the list.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Scappoose-Vernonia Road Closure
Scappoose-Vernonia Road closure begins today, July 18th, and lasts through Friday July 29th. There is no local detour. Alternate travel routes are Apiary Road and the old Pittsburg Road. Please be aware that the old Pittsburg Road is a gravel road.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Ready Your Business
If you own a business, know someone who does or would like to see your workplace be more prepared for disasters, FEMA has designed a webpage to help.
FEMA's Ready Business site has information and free resources to prepare your business, workplace and staff for the next disaster. Just click the blue text to go there.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Upcoming Out-of-County Classes
- CERT Train the Trainer- Hosted by Marylhurst College, August 3-5th
- Mt Hood Community College, Disaster Skills Training and Practical Exercise series. MRC members are strongly encouraged to attend as well as CERT to attend (this training would qualify as a CERT Practical), Sunday, June 19th (Fathers Day) from 0800-1230
- A Moulage Class (realistic injury creation) - Same day as the Mt Hood Community College Disaster Training listed above - Sunday, June 19th (Fathers Day) from 0800-1230 (students will have to choose one or the other).
Registration is open to anyone. Please see the flyers below for specifics on each class.



Monday, May 23, 2011
High River Levels--Use Caution Around Water
The National Weather Service (NWS) has informed us that the Columbia River will continue to run high for the rest of the week into the weekend, and will likely reach flood stage. However, there is no cause for worry at this time.
The upcoming Memorial Day weekend means outdoor recreation for many people. However, with high, swift river conditions, it's important to use extra caution around water. The water level will be higher up on banks and and move faster, carrying debris. If you plan on being near the Columbia this week or weekend, be aware of what the river is doing and watch your footing around the water.
Columbia County Emergency Management is working with the NWS to closely monitor the river levels and we will issue updates as necessary.
You can stay informed of river conditions via the NWS Northwest River Forecast Center website.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Zombie Apocalypse
Links to Partner Agencies
- Clatskanie Fire
- Clatskanie Police
- Columbia 911 and CAN Registration
- Columbia County Sheriff
- Columbia County, Oregon Website
- Columbia River Fire and Rescue
- Mist-Birkenfeld Fire District
- Oregon Department of Foresty Wildfire Programs
- Oregon Red Cross
- Ready.gov--Website with Emergency Preparedness Tips
- Scappoose Fire
- Scappoose Police
- St. Helens Police
- The Public Health Foundation of Columbia County
- Vernonia Fire
- Vernonia Police