From the Emergency Operations Center – publishing here till we find a link on the city website:
SDOT continues working to prevent freezing on snow routes:
· Currently the City has 17 trucks with salt spreaders and two flusher trucks deployed.
· Snow routes are in good condition.
· There was no significant re-freezing of cleared roadways during the past 24 hours.
· There are no significant problems on the snow route network.
· The Alaskan Way Viaduct and the West Seattle High Rise Bridge are bare and dry.
· Focus is on reopening closed roads. The Seattle Police Department and SDOT are working to review roads currently closed and will update the list online.
· The City will continue the same level of deployed vehicles for the morning commute; focus will be on efforts to prevent re-freezing, address trouble spots on Level 3 routes, and bring more roads off the closed list.
· Because of the possibility of precipitation today leading to the formation of black ice tonight, some roads will remain closed.
· 24 hour shifts will continue through Thursday, November 25.
SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES
· Garbage, yard waste and recycling collection have been postponed in Seattle for a second day, due to dangerous road conditions; icy side streets prohibit safe collections. There will be no residential services on Wednesday, November 24.
· Collection services for commercial and multi-family accounts will be available on a limited basis Wednesday, November 24, where access allows.
· Customers whose containers were not collected on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of this week will have them collected next week on their regularly scheduled pick-up day, and will be allowed to set out double their normal amount of garbage, yard waste and recycling at no additional charge.
POLICE
As a result of the traffic-related issues created by the snow and ice, the Seattle Police Department continues to manage snow-related incidents at the precinct level, reporting to the Emergency Operations Center. Staffing and call volume today have been comparable to normal operations. It is anticipated that SPD will return to normal operations tomorrow if conditions remain the same.
HUMAN SERVICES
Several shelters will be available for people trying to avoid the cold overnight:
· The co-ed City Hall shelter, located at Fourth and James, 9 p.m. – 6 a.m., capacity, 75 people;
· The Frye Hotel, for women only, at Third and Yesler, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., capacity, 25 people.
· Starting today, the Seattle Center shelter building will be switched from the Pavilion to the Rainier Room (one of the Northwest rooms). Hours are 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Seattle Center Centerhouse is open 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. as a warming center.
LIBRARIES
· All locations of The Seattle Public Library, including the downtown Central Library, will be open from noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 24.
· The Green Lake Library was closed yesterday due to lack of staff availability because of the weather.
MUNICIPAL COURT
· Seattle Municipal Court will begin at 10 a.m. today.
PARKS
• Parks and Recreation Community Centers, Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center, Camp Long Environmental Learning Center, and the Amy Yee Tennis Center will operate from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today for drop-in activities.
· Pools will operate an adjusted schedule, please call the individual pool for programs and times, with the exception of Helene Madison Pool, which will be closed.
· Athletic fields will be closed Wednesday.
· School Age Care Programs cancelled
· Athletic programs are cancelled.
· Scheduled recreation programs and classes are cancelled.
· Swimming Lesson programs are cancelled.
· Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center is closed.
· Green Lake and Mt. Baker small craft centers are closed.
· Jefferson Golf Course is open for sledding.
CITY LIGHT
· There are no outages. At the height of the storm, 1,500 customers were without power. Most were restored within eight hours. The remaining customers were restored before 8 p.m. Tuesday.
FIRE
· The Fire Department added two aid cars to help out with an increased number of emergency medical responses over the past 48 hours.
· The department continues to increase staffing through Wednesday.
· Seattle Fire dispatched 507 emergency responses on Monday, approximately twice the normal number of calls received per day.
· All fire engines, trucks, medic units, and aid cars are chained up to allow access to emergencies.
PREPAREDNESS
· If Pipes Break or Freeze
Freezing weather is here. That means frozen and broken pipes are a possibility. If a water pipe breaks follow these steps:
o Immediately close the main shut-off valve to stop flooding. The shut-off valve can be indoors or outdoors – usually in a basement, crawlspace or garage. If you cannot turn off the main shutoff valve, Seattle Public Utilities customers can call (206) 386-1800 and a crew will turn off the water at the meter for a standard service charge.
o Call a plumber to repair or replace the damaged section of pipe as soon as possible.
o Don’t use hair dryers to thaw frozen pipes — you face the risk of electrocution!
From reports on cases handled recently by 
| 5 COMMENTS