John's Vashon Preparedness Blog

FEMA released the 10th annual 2021 National Preparedness Report (NPR).

This year's report presents preparedness data through the lens of risks and capabilities and underscores the challenges that emergency managers face in addressing a continuously...

SEATTLE — Together, FEMA and Bonneville Seattle have completed an important modernization at the emergency radio broadcast facility at Bonneville International’s KIRO-AM 710 in Seattle. This modernization project improves emergency alert systems that provide critical alerts and warnings to the public.The KIRO-AM facility serves as a Primary Entry Point (PEP) station for FEMA’s National Public Warning System (NPWS), maintained under FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), and provides critical information to the public before, during and after incidents and disasters.Under the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act enacted in 2015, Congress required FEMA to upgrade PEP stations across the country to ensure continuity of terrestrial broadcast services under all hazards. PEP stations are specially designated NPWS broadcast stations that serve as the primary intake source of initial broadcasts for a national alert. FEMA equips these stations, which are operated by local station...

National Preparedness Month is an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time.

This week’s theme for National Preparedness is Engage Your Community on Preparedness.

Preparedness is for everyone. There are many ways to engage your family, friends, neighbors, community, and volunteer groups on preparedness.

Go to https://vashonbeprepared.org/Help-Out/Volunteer to get involved!

Youth are leaders in preparedness. Over the past year, the FEMA Region 10 Youth Preparedness Council...

from: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/king-county-sheriffs-office-launches-new-phone-appKING COUNTY, Wash. — Community members in King County will now be able to submit tips, access inmate information, research sex offenders in their area and more with just a click away on their smartphones.On Thursday, King County Sheriff Mitzi G. Johanknecht announced a new smartphone app for the King County Sheriff’s Office.The app will help connect the community with the sheriff’s office and send out information to anyone with a smartphone.“Open and accurate communication are the fundamentals of transparency, which in turn builds trust with the communities we serve,” said Johanknecht. “Our new mobile app gives us a better way to alert, inform and prepare the public. We even have weather alerts.”The app provides access to information of public interest:Submit a tip Meet the Sheriff Access COVID-19 resources Receive push notifications...

This week focuses on making an emergency plan. You are encouraged to do the following this week:

Talk with loved ones about the types of disasters that can impact you. This can be a conversation around the dinner table or a zoom call.Plan how to contact one another and have an out-of-area contact. Remember texts are more likely to go through over calls. Know how you and your loved ones will reconnect if separated. Consider the specific needs in your household when making your plan, including disabilities or accesses and functional needs, medical equipment, medications, etc. Practice your plan with everyone involved including your pets! Find additional activities on Ready.gov. Virtual Sessions In partnership with the state emergency management...

Each September, FEMA’s Ready Campaign uses this time to encourage people to take steps to prepare for disasters and emergencies that could happen anywhere and at any time. This year’s theme is “Prepare to Protect.”Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love. Act now to prepare yourself and your family before disaster strikes.Throughout the month, weekly themes will be used to highlight basic preparedness activities that everyone can do, including:· Week 1, Sept. 1-4: Make A Plan· Week 2, Sept. 5-11: Build A Kit· Week 3, Sept. 12-18: Low-Cost, No-Cost Preparedness· Week 4, Sept. 19-25: Teach Children...

King County Fire Marshal Chris Ricketts has issued a Stage 2 burn ban for unincorporated King County, which prohibits all outdoor recreational fires. Outdoor cooking and heating appliances are restricted to approved manufactured gas and charcoal units only.The Stage 2 burn ban goes into effect immediately for King County, which was already in a Stage 1 burn ban. King County’s ban is in coordination with the King County Fire Chiefs Association and Fire Marshals, which extends the ban into cities.During a Stage 2 burn ban, any outdoor fire such as a backyard fire pit or campfire using chopped firewood or charcoal is prohibited. Under the ban, any person with a recreational fire who fails to take immediate action to extinguish or discontinue when ordered or notified to do so can be charged with, up to and including, a misdemeanor.Manufactured portable outdoor devices are allowed, including barbeques...

According to Cliff Mass, we’ve smoke in our future, at least thru Saturday.

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-smoke-storm-is-about-to-hit.html

Vashon COVID Update:

Delta Wave of COVID Has Taken Hold on Vashon --

Vaccination Has Been Working

This is a COVID Update from Vashon Medical Reserve Corps and VashonBePrepared.Vashon COVID cases have jumped significantly over the last six weeks. After staying flat at 121 cases through June, Vashon's total pandemic case count has jumped to 138. Cases on Vashon have been increasing at the rate of about one per day. Roughly one-fifth of the cases are in kids, 11 years and younger, who are not yet eligible for vaccination. With the Delta variant being dominant, in this wave, kids are much more likely to display symptoms than before. Fortunately, vaccination has been working and we have not had a massive spike on Vashon like the one experienced in November and December before vaccination was available. Vashon has not had a new hospitalization since January. Vaccinated individuals who become ill generally have mild symptoms as predicted by the vaccine clinical trials and they continue to be protected...

Even in temperate western Washington it can take only a few sunny days for forests to dry out enough to catch fire. And, in windy conditions wildfires can get out of control quickly. Wildfires burn every year in east King County. Before wildfire strikes, homeowners can help protect lives and property by creating a fire-adapted space around structures.Top 8 tips for maintaining a wildfire safety zone in the 30 feet around your homeRemove all dead plant material from around your home. Rake up dry leaves (under decks and porches too!) and move firewood away from the house. Keep your roof and gutters clear of flammable debris.Place a 3 to 5-foot swath of gravel or stones around the foundation of your home instead of flammable mulch.Prune branches that overhang or touch the house. Take out "ladder fuels," vegetation between grass and treetops that can carry fire between foliage and structures.  Keep blowing embers out of your house. Cover exterior vents with fine (1/8-inch) mesh. Store flammable materials, including...

The Vashon Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and VashonBePrepared are working closely with an island business to contain a potentially significant COVID exposure event.

An employee at Fair Isle Animal Clinic tested positive for COVID yesterday, Sunday, July 25th.  As a safety measure, Fair Isle has now taken a number of steps to make sure everyone stays safe. For example, Fair Isle had reopened its doors a few weeks ago but today reverted to curbside service as a way to prevent spread of COVID.

"There's nothing more important than keeping our patients, clients and staff safe. We are here for the health of Vashon and its animals," said Dr. Dana Ness, the owner of Fair Isle Animal Clinic. "We are following all guidelines and are very grateful to MRC, the EOC and VashonBePrepared for their technical assistance in this effort and their many months of experience with the pandemic. We are especially grateful for the way the people of Vashon are pulling together to support everyone...

In response to the impacts of COVID-19, Drive-In Wi-Fi Hotspots provide free temporary, emergency internet access for Washingtonians who do not have broadband service to their homes.Washington Wi-Fi Finder:https://www.commerce.wa.gov/building-infrastructure/washington-state-drive-in-wifi-hotspots-location-finder/

Seattle residents can also find additional indoor locations at: http://www.seattle.gov/tech/services/internet-access/free-public-wi-fi

In...

A new web application from ESRI provides a nice visual overlay to the latest ocean flooding scenarios – including Seattle and by inference, Vashon too.

https://apl.esri.com/jg/hightideflooding/ is the web site which states:

High tide flooding today mostly affects low-lying and exposed assets or infrastructure, such as roads, harbors, beaches, public storm-, waste- and fresh-water systems and private and commercial properties.  Due to rising relative sea level (RSL), more and more cities are becoming increasingly exposed and evermore vulnerable to high tide flooding, which is rapidly increasing in frequency, depth...

July 14: COVID-19 is on the rise in King County and Vashon's case count has jumped by four cases in the last several days to a total of 125 since the pandemic began last year. That remains a good record compared to the other King County communities, an infection rate about one-third of the county as a whole. However, the trends are cause for concern and one of the new Vashon cases gives us an important reality check, a breakthrough infection of a vaccinated patient."We may feel we are done with COVID, but COVID isn't done with us. We still have COVID on Vashon," explained Dr. Zach Miller, an infectious disease expert and leader of the...

The fourth of July is this Sunday and proper use and management of fireworks is important.Here are a few things to remember on the 4th:

Please use only legal fireworks.If it goes up in the air or explodes, it's illegal. No bottle rockets or firecrackers.Consumer fireworks permitted in King County Only on July 4th 9:00 AM ‘til midnight.Have responsible adults light fireworksand keep kids at a safe distance.Move away quickly after lighting and wear eye protection.Have a water hose ready to squirt, plus a bucket of water to soak used fireworks.Use fireworks...

Weather forecasters predict today will be hotter than yesterday and likely to set new records for high temperatures, the highest ever experienced in the Puget Sound area, including Vashon. Vashon will hit a high of well over 100 degrees with the National Weather Service suggesting the possibility of a high temperature on Vashon of 112 degrees.Three air conditioned cooling center locations are available today on Vashon, open from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Masks and social distancing are required. Here are the three locations... - Vashon Library, in town at 17210 Vashon Highway, at Ober Park.In addition, VashonBePrepared has arranged for two more cooling centers where...

An extended heat wave is affecting Vashon and the rest of the Puget Sound this weekend with  high temperatures that could exceed 110 degrees by Monday.Three air conditioned cooling center locations are available on Vashon, open from 10:00am to 6:00pm each day. Masks and social distancing are required.The lobby of Vashon Center for the Arts, south of town at 19600 Vashon Highway at the intersection with Cemetery Road. Open all three days, through Monday.Subway restaurant, in town at 17408 Vashon Highway one block north of the intersection with Bank Road. Open all three days, through Monday.Vashon Library, in town at 17210 Vashon Highway, at Ober Park. Open Saturday and Monday, closed...

· VashonBePrepared's Emergency Operations Center was activated 67 weeks ago (471 days) to respond to what became a global pandemic.· Our emergency response team with the help of many Island and County partners achieved remarkable results to help communicate, support, and assist Vashonites.· Based on Public Health –Seattle & King County’s dashboard, Vashon had 121 residents test positive for the COVID-19 virus. That is 11.2 cases per 1,000 residents, compared to...

 ... and all year long!

Water only when the yard or garden needs water, focusing on the root zone. More plants die from over-watering than from under-watering.Water slowly and thoroughly in the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. Use a kitchen or portable timer when using the hose as a reminder to turn it off or purchase an inexpensive hose timer.Let grass grow taller in hot weather to preserve moisture.Use mulch in the garden and around shrubs to save moisture.Plant native plants and shrubs that don't need a lot of water.Consider alternatives to big, thirsty lawns.Water trees slowly, deeply, and infrequently to encourage...

There are two air conditioned cooling center locations on Vashon Island, open from 10:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday through Monday. Masks and social distancing are required at both of these locations.

The lobby of Vashon Center for the Arts, south of town at 19600 Vashon Highway at the intersection with Cemetery Road.Subway restaurant, in town at 17408 Vashon Highway one block north of the intersection with Bank Road.Both locations are offering free water or soft drinks to cooling center drop ins. Folks in need of transportation to reach the cooling centers can arrange a trip by contacting Vashon Community Van at 206-263-5901 or email communityvan@kingcounty.gov, or go online to:

https://kingcounty.gov/depts/local-services/programs/vashon-community-van.aspxAlthough...

This morning’s briefings included these slides that may be of interest…

An extended heat wave will affect Vashon and the rest of the Puget Sound this weekend with  high temperatures above 105 degrees predicted Sunday and Monday.Heat waves can be dangerous for elders, infants, people on medications, and people with health conditions that increase heat sensitivity, so it's important to take sensible precautions to avoid heat-related illness. Here are some tips to beat the heat from Public Health -- Seattle & King County and VashonBePrepared.... Minimize physical...

Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a new amendment into law on Tuesday, and it will take effect 7/25/21.

Here’s the link to the formal wording and the RCW citation for future reference. http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/1209-S.SL.pdf#page=1

Remember this is the section that applies to people helping their neighbors in a “it’s a disaster” situation, not the people who have protections as a Registered Emergency Worker (their coverage is in a different section).

Our appreciation to West Seattle Be Prepared neighbor Cindi Barker for her efforts to get this passed in this year’s busy legislative session.

Click map for a larger version

In January, the Washington Geological Survey (WGS) published a new set of maps derived from their “inundation models […] based on the shape of the ocean floor, the topography of the land, and the expected size and shape of tsunami waves. These properties are derived from what we know about past earthquakes and tsunamis that are found in the geologic record of the Pacific Northwest. The result of the modeling is a series of maps that show the expected depth of water and the speed of the currents from an earthquake-generated tsunami.”Click here to download DNR’s...

A new report from the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations paints a somber picture for agrarian communities.

Reportedly, disasters happen three times more often today, than in the 1970s and 1980s. Agriculture absorbs a disproportionate 63 per cent share of their impact, compared to other sectors, such as tourism, commerce and industry.

New hazards such as megafires, extreme weather, unusually large desert locust swarms, and emerging biological threats threaten agri-food systems.

Abstract

On top of a decade of exacerbated disaster loss, exceptional global heat, retreating ice and rising sea levels, humanity and our food security face a range of new and unprecedented hazards, such as megafires, extreme weather events, desert locust swarms of magnitudes previously unseen, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Agriculture underpins the livelihoods of over 2.5 billion people – most of them in low-income developing...

Washington Good Samaritan law protects the general public during some activities even outside declared emergencies. Some aspects of the law are being reconsidered:The current Washington State Good Samaritan Law covers only medical aid given in times of a disaster. There is no provision for the general population to have Good Samaritan protection should they want to help their neighbors in the response to a significant event outside of a clear medical context.In 2021, a new bill has been sponsored to add an addition to the existing law and is currently moving through the House. The requested addition extends the existing law to include non-medical aid given in times of disaster. Important note: this would be beneficial in response to all hazards, including flooding, landslides, and wildfires, and is not specific only to an earthquake scenario.Key Points:Emergency Managers throughout the State of Washington work to help their residents prepare for disaster and build community resilience as their resources will be...

For this Sunday’s 20th anniversary of the Nisqually Earthquake, the University of Washington has created created a simulation based on that historic quake.

They will use this simulation as an initial test of the region’s new Early Earthquake Warning System.

You can learn how to opt-in to these new alerts by going to: https://mil.wa.gov/alerts

To receive this test message, you need to:Be physically located in King, Pierce or Thurston counties Have WEA 2.0 or 3.0 capable devices that are powered on Have OPTED IN to receive WEA test messagesGet InvolvedAfter opting in, we invite you to provide feedback — including reporting whether and how the test alert was delivered to your device.Sign up here to join a virtual WEA Watch Party...

The EOC is trying hard to keep the vaccination information page updated at: https://vashonbeprepared.org/COVID-Vaccine.

Please take note that the Pharmacy operation is going to get a lot of attention because it's convenient and open wide. But other options do exist, including Sea Mar and Vashon Natural Medicine as well as a number of mainland operations...everything from Kaiser, to CVS and Safeway Pharmacy, etc.

Please know this: For some time to come the demand will exceed the available supply being allocated by the federal government and thus available to the state Department of Health.

And...one last thing...gigantic shoutout to Sea Mar. They got 120 doses initially. And they spent the last week searching out Phase 1A eligible folks and calling them in to their clinic to get vaccinated...health care providers, dentists, first responders, etc., etc.

That's real community sharing!

- Rick Wallace

Here is a fire and smoke map that updates hourly using a variety of sources, including satellite.

It’s centered on Oregon when you first pull it up, but if you scroll up you’ll find Washington. You can see the Sumner Grade Fire in Bonney Lake and the newer fire southeast of Enumclaw.

If you zoom out, you can clear see the entire west coast on fire. ☹

https://data.statesmanjournal.com/fires/

The Double Disaster: When the pandemic struck, it quickly became clear that our island community faced two emergencies. First, there was the need to fight the disease, help people understand how to keep themselves and their families safe. Second, our community was being hit by a devastating economic and emotional disaster.Islanders at Emotional Risk: At peak, a quarter of all Vashon workers had applied for unemployment benefits. A Chamber of Commerce survey showed that 40% of our businesses went dark. Schools sent kids home. Hundreds of families are worrying...