Pictured: King County Office of Emergency Management Director Walt Hubbard welcomes participants and introduces professionals from National Weather Service, Puget Sound Energy, Public Health, and King County departments.

More than 100 regional stakeholders gathered together October 12 for our 6th Annual Winter Weather Seminar. Facing another La Nina forecast, NWS Seattle’s Ted Buehner said we can expect cooler and wetter than average conditions this winter season. Already we’ve seen snowfall at low elevations and stage 2 flooding in some areas. Professional experts assured participants we are ready for whatever Mother Nature sends our way.   

The event also provided an opportunity to reflect on past events and lessons learned. Of note was praise from King County Road Services for a collective response to a road washout that isolated a community in the Duvall area, and required quick coordination with King County Emergency Management, Roads, and the Sheriff’s Office.   

Our annual Winter Weather Seminars are important for bringing together frontline agencies to share information and resources as we plan for the impacts of winter weather. Together, we enhance each other’s ability to respond to and recover from our most hazardous season. 

Crossposted from KC Employee Giving 

For many of us, our pets are more than just pets – they are a part of the family. Cats and dogs are there in our moments of joy and of sadness, in our moments of smiles and tears. In this year’s Annual Giving Drive, you too can make a difference in an animal’s life by donating to one or various organizations. Don’t wait, lend a paw to a cat or dog in search of their forever home. 

With over 80 nonprofit organizations doing work with animals, below are a just a few to get you started. 

MEOW Cat Rescue (9193) 10600 NE 68th St Kirkland, WA 98033 – With respect and compassion for all animal life, MEOW promotes relationships between people and companion animals, providing shelter and care until each pet is adopted into a forever home. 

Read more at KC Employee Giving

Only a month ago, the nation witnessed hurricane-induced flooding in many parts of the country. Our region doesn’t experience hurricanes, but we do experience flood conditions nearly every year due to another weather phenomenon that recently garnered headlines – atmospheric rivers.

When the rains fall and the rivers rise, King County’s flood response teams kick into gear. One of the first steps is the opening of the King County Flood Warning Center (FWC), which gathers, analyzes and distributes flood-related information to help people – including County employees – protect themselves, their families and their property.

The FWC is activated when any of the major rivers in the county reach specified flood levels, based on a four-phase warning system. Once the center is activated, response staff begin monitoring the flow and depth of the major rivers on a 24-hour basis. Staff members, working 12-hour shifts in the King Street Center-based FWC, answer calls from the public and emergency response agencies, coordinate patrols in the field and monitor river gages, weather data, dam operations and road closures. They disseminate information to the public through a variety of channels, including Facebook, text messages, emails and phone calls.

Pictured: From left to right Chris Ewing and Tasha Wang.

Phase 1 is an internal alert to King County staff. Phase 2 indicates minor flooding in some areas, triggering the opening of the FWC. Phase 3 indicates moderate flooding, and trained flood patrols are dispatched to monitor levees and other flood control facilities. Finally, Phase 4 indicates a major flood, with potential for emergency repairs, rescue operations and evacuations.

“These flood patrols are out inspecting levees around the clock, often in wet and stormy conditions, to ensure that the people who live and work behind them remain safe,” said John Koon, flood patrol coordinator in the Water and Land Resources Division.

If you live in a flood-prone neighborhood, it’s important to know what to do before, during and after a flood to reduce the risk of property damage or personal injury.

The calm before the storm is a great time for residents to know their flood hazard by accessing King County iMap, where you can view floodplain boundaries. Flood insurance? If you live in a floodplain, now is a good time to purchase insurance or review your policy and to stock up on an emergency kit.

In the midst of flooding, do not walk, wade or drive through flooded areas. Driving through floodwaters is the leading cause of flood-related deaths. Use resources such as the FWC or the County’s Flood Warning App to stay informed of water levels. Public safety is top priority.

After weathering the storm, be cautious of structural damage to your home or property. Professional services are available to examine gas leaks, electrical shorts and live wires. Document the high-water mark for future flood prevention.

For King County employees and residents who rely on mass transit to get to work, the King County Flood Warning App is a fantastic resource that provides real-time flooding information for the South Fork Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Tolt, Raging, Cedar, Green and White rivers and Issaquah Creek.  The app is available for Andriod, iOS and Windows phones. Along with access to river flows and flood stages, users can see forecasts and real-time flood phases.

Efforts to protect people and property have earned King County a high rating from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System (CRS). King County’s high CRS rating is saving policyholders in unincorporated King County more than $1 million in flood insurance premiums – an average of $425 per policy.

“King County encourages people to reach out to the Flood Warning Center during flood events so that we can give them important information while there’s still time for them to make decisions,” said Ken Zweig, Flood Warning Center program manager.

To learn more about flood prevention, read How to prepare for flooding in King County. Flood Warning Center Information Line: 206-296-8200 or 800-945-9263.

Over the summer, several incidents of assault were reported in downtown Seattle around the King County Courthouse building, including assaults on residents reporting for jury duty.

As a result King County, the City of Seattle, Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) at The Morrison and the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) began working together on a new initiative – the Courthouse Vicinity Improvement effort – to improve the safety and cleanliness around the Courthouse for employees, visitors and residents of the area.

Along with need for increased security, cleaning up the sidewalk areas outside of the Metro Transit tunnel exits, City Hall Park and Prefontaine Fountain all needed attention.

Meg Goldman, a Project Manager with the Department of Executive Services, is organizing  King County’s collaborative effort to implement improvements to the safety and cleanliness of the area.

“I help everyone understand and prioritize the issues, formulate a response and help with internal communications,” Meg said. “It has been a successful collaboration with key stakeholders coming together to define the problem and set out concrete short-term solutions.”

The goals of the group are to stay informed on crime and incident statistics, ensure ongoing information sharing and communication among stakeholders, and develop collaborative County-City-community solutions.

The Courthouse Vicinity Improvement effort is focused on serving a four-block radius that encompasses Third Avenue around the Courthouse, City Hall Park, Prefontaine Fountain and the Pioneer Square transit stations.

The collaboration has led to better security, higher frequency of garbage collection, street cleaning and signage for jurors and residents looking for the Courthouse.

“Effective partnership is vital, due to the fact that the park and sidewalk area is under city jurisdiction, while the courthouse is a County building; the County can’t address these conditions alone,” Superior Court Presiding Judge Laura Inveen said. “The outside perimeter is now cleaner, waste is being removed regularly, and the tents and furniture have been removed from the City Hall Park.”

“There is also a presence of County security officers outside the entrance of the  courthouse, which seems to make employees and jurors and others who use the courthouse more at ease,” Judge Inveen said.

As the partnership continues, so too will renewed efforts and new initiatives, including some longer term improvements to City Hall Park. King County remains steadfast on finding long-term solutions to address security, safety and cleanliness.

For now, the short-term solutions are working. “Success looks like a safe, clean, welcoming neighborhood where jurors feel comfortable and secure participating in their roles as jurors and citizens,” Meg said.

Employees are encouraged to report incidents that don’t rise to the need for a call for police assistance using the security incident report form.