Wind Watch Now a Warning For Everett

The National Weather service has upgraded the wind watch for Sunday to a wind warning. They say late afternoon wind gusts could reach 70 miles per hour. In advance of that you may want to make sure your car has gas if you’re low. Remember, power outages usually mean gas pumps don’t work. Also flashlights, bottled water, some food, etc. are always good to have on hand. And from past experience we can’t say this enough. If the traffic lights are out at an intersection it becomes a 4-way stop for EVERYBODY!

The Everett Office of Emergency Management has a great list for items for a 3-day emergency kit that includes thinking about your pets.

The Snohomish PUD also has a list of great suggestions…

If all the power is out in your house, the trouble may be outside the home. If only your home is affected, the PUD should be called promptly. To facilitate rapid servicing of trouble calls, please provide us with the following information:
You can call 24 hours a day 7 days a week (425) 783-1001
Name of customer
Street and house number
Status of neighborhood lights
Power outages can be caused by a number of things, such as trees falling onto power lines or by car accidents involving power poles. If the power goes out, please remember these important tips:

Stay at least 30 feet away from any fallen power lines, including lines that are sagging or broken. Also, don’t cut up fallen trees that are entangled with power lines. The safe thing to do is assume all power lines are alive and can be a killer if touched.

Call the PUD if you have specific information about the location of a downed tree or if you see a power line on the ground. Outages can be reported by calling (425) 783-1001. If it’s a life-threatening situation or medical emergency, call 911.

Try to remember what was turned on at the time the power went out and turn the switches to those items to the “off ” position. It’s especially important to turn off anything that has a heating element, such as the electric range, an iron, or a toaster oven. Turning items off will prevent a fire when the power is restored.
Unplug sensitive electronics to prevent damage from potential electrical surges. It’s not necessary to turn off hot water heaters.

Don’t try to power your house by plugging a portable generator into a wall outlet. The generator will back feed electricity through the meter and out into the neighborhood, which will cause a severe safety hazard to neighbors and line workers. If using a portable generator, make sure the appliances being powered are plugged directly to the generator or make sure your home is disconnected from the PUD’s electric system with a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician.

Make sure you have fresh batteries for flashlights. Always exercise extreme caution if you use candles or oil lamps. Never leave them unattended and keep them away from furniture, drapes, and other flammable materials.

Keep your refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible. The contents should be good for at least 24 hours if the door is kept closed. After that, use dry ice for the continued protection of your food.

Stay warm. Choose a small room with few windows as your emergency living quarters. Keep the windows, drapes, and doors closed. Also, dress warmly. Wear several layers of clothes and don’t forget to wear a hat.

Conserve water, especially in areas where well pumps and pumping stations may be without power.

If you use a portable heater that burns liquid fuel, make sure you have a window open for ventilation.

Stay informed. PUD staff share storm updates with KIRO-FM (97.3), KOMO-AM/FM (1000/97.7), KSER-FM (90.7), and KRKO-AM (1380).

Editor’s Note: MyEverettNews.com will provide storm updates for Everett as needed. The quickest way to receive the latest information is by following our Twitter Feed. We will also update Facebook and the website but Twitter is the fastest for us to get information out when we are in the field. You also may want to bookmark this link to the PUD Storm Outage Map. It is activated when there is a major outage in Snohomish county.