West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
Marked on those map are West Seattle’s Emergency Communication Hubs, designated sites where volunteers would coordinate communication in case of a catastrophe that disrupted normal methods. On this 19th anniversary of the 6.8-magnitude Nisqually Earthquake, memorizing your nearest Hub location – and ensuring your family knows it too – is one quick preparatory step you can take to prepare in case of The Really Big One. Not seeing one near where you live? Here’s how to change that.
Just in case this catches your eye tomorrow, the Port of Seattle sends this FYI:
Orion, the general contractor at Terminal 5, will be performing a water rescue drill on Thursday, November 14, from 11:00 am – 11:30 am at T-5’s north-end derrick barge, the St. Helens.
(WSB photo from Wednesday, new tower at left)
On Wednesday, thanks to a reader tip and photos, we reported on the new emergency-communications tower going up by Myrtle Reservoir Park, at the city’s highest elevation. Our initial inquiries left a lot of questions unanswered but we connected with the right people today and they answered those questions by putting together this news release:
The Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network (PSERN) Project is upgrading and expanding the current, aging King County Emergency Radio Communications System (KCERCS). A West Seattle radio tower, located on land owned by the City of Seattle is part of that. It’s located on an existing KCERCS site and the PSERN Project is replacing the tower as part of a critical emergency radio system upgrade.
PSERN will primarily be used by law enforcement, fire fighters, and other emergency personnel to communicate with each other during E-911 activities – from small incident responses to major emergencies like earthquakes. The PSERN system is comprised of 61 radio towers engineered to provide the best coverage available using direct, line-of-sight technology between towers to communicate with each other, in combination with other technologies. This is not a 5G cellular site; the technologies are different.
The tower will be ready to respond to emergencies after construction and testing is complete. Construction of the new PSERN tower and equipment installation will take another six to nine months to complete. The old tower will then be torn down.
The project began its work on the West Seattle tower location in late summer 2019 and has followed local jurisdiction permitting requirements, including a land use sign on site. Additionally, the project chose to pay an additional cost to paint the tower a color allowing it to better blend in with its surroundings.
Construction and materials costs for the PSERN West Seattle tower equipment are approximately $800,000, paid for out of the PSERN Project.
Other FAQs:
PSERN was approved by King County voters in April 2015.
PSERN is an 800 MHz digital network.The system will cover all populated portions of King County, along with the three major highways in the eastern part of the county.
It is a large, complex program comprised of more than 80 subprojects. That includes the 61 radio sites based around the county in a wide variety of terrain, 19 dispatch centers, deployment of up to 19,000 radios, and other system components.
PSERN Project Partners/Owners:
Eastside Public Safety Communications Agency (EPSCA)
King County – lead agency
City of Seattle
Valley Communications CenterThe system vendor is Motorola.
When the project is complete, the system and all project assets will be operated by a new municipal nonprofit corporation, the PSERN Operator.
P.S. We found documents for the project permits in city files, which shows it’s been in the works for four years. The tower is 140 feet tall.
Students at Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) ended their day today with a lesson in preparedness.
Rain didn’t get in the way of their participation in the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.
The drill was more about testing their plan for what the school would do after a quake than what to do during one. That includes assessing and treating injuries, with role-playing during the drill.
Parents had a role too – picking up students at day’s end, they had to sign them out the same way it would work during an actual emergency.
P.S. If you’re looking ahead to middle school next year, Explorer West has an open house coming up next week – 6:30 pm Tuesday (October 22nd).
You might already know this through your workplace, or your kid’s school – tomorrow is the annual “Great Washington Shakeout” earthquake drill, with more than a million people expected to fake a quake at 10:17 am (on 10/17). The goal this year: To be sure you know how to “drop, cover, and hold on” to protect yourself as best you can once the shaking starts. P.S. For West Seattle-specific preparedness info – covering more than quake readiness – go here!
With 7.1 and 6.4 magnitude quakes in Southern California the past two days, you might be thinking about preparedness, since we’re in quake country too. So here’s one simple thing to do: Know where your nearest Emergency Communication Hub is. The map above shows the ones in our area. These are spots where community volunteers will set up alternative ways of communicating, from amateur radio to paper-and-pen message boards, if we’re hit by a disaster that disrupts regular communications. They can be rendezvous spots too, so know where yours is, and be sure your loved ones know too. If you wish there was one closer to you – get involved and make it happen.
P.S. For more preparedness info, plan to visit this year’s Delridge Day festival five weeks from today – Saturday, August 10th, at Delridge Community Center Park – which will include the next Urban Survival Skills Fair, just like the one at the West Seattle Bee Festival back in May.
Before the weekend wraps, we have one more community meeting from this past week to recap: The West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network‘s final meeting before summer hiatus. Here’s what happened when the WSBWCN gathered Tuesday at the Southwest Precinct:
PRECINCT UPDATE AND COMMUNITY Q&A: Capt. Pierre Davis said crimes against persons are up 14 percent, largely because of the string of robberies earlier in the year. Property crimes are down 13 percent. Citizen diligence remains helpful – he admits you’ve heard it many times, but, “if you see something, say something.” In the Southwest Precinct jurisdiction, South Park remains an area of emphasis – the Anti-Crime Team is there, serving warrants. Alki Beach is a West Seattle area of emphasis and they started early this year, including one group of dedicated traffic officers.
This past weekend, amateur-radio operators and emergency-preparedness specialists gathered at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) for the annual Field Day. Community members were welcome to stop by, observe, and learn. In case you weren’t able to, local videographer Mark Jaroslaw created the video above explaining how – in case of catastrophe, particularly The Big One – what was happening on Field Day ultimately will help you be safer in the aftermath. Participating entities included the Puget Sound Repeater Group, Seattle Auxiliary Communication Service, West Seattle Amateur Radio Club, Western Washington Medical Services Team, Red Cross, Search And Rescue, Seattle Emergency Hubs, and the Seattle Office Of Emergency Management.
Do you know where your nearest Emergency Communication Hub is? If you don’t, finding it on the map and memorizing it is the single most important takeaway from that story. Two of the hubs – volunteer-staffed rendezvous points that would be set up in case of catastrophe – are “activated” right now as part of a citywide drill, explained in the announcement:
The drill simulates conditions the day after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake along the Seattle Fault has caused extensive infrastructure damage. The damage from such a quake would likely include a failure of grid power and cellular service, making communications and emergency services a challenge. Because the Hubs are key gathering points for neighborhoods, communications between the Hubs, (Auxiliary Communication Service), and the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are critical. Much of the exercise will involve moving simulated messages around the city using field- deployed, off-grid communications.
The two hubs participating in the drill, which continues until noon, include Hiawatha and Morgan Junction Park. We stopped at the latter:
Though to the unknowing passerby it might have looked like a lot of standing/sitting around, everyone has a role, and periodic drills like this are vital to keep plans and skills top-of-mind.
Again, these preparations – and what would happen if disaster struck – are all-volunteer efforts. It’s been stressed time and time again that the “officials” will be overwhelmed so especially in the early aftermath, you have to be ready to help yourself, your family, your neighbors. And if you are interested in setting up a hub – here’s how.
Saturday’s West Seattle Bee Festival offers much to look forward to, including the first-ever Urban Survival Skills Fair. Cindi Barker says it’ll be a fun way to find out about disaster preparedness. Here’s what else you’ll find at the USS Fair in a big tent in the north end of High Point Commons Park, by the Bee Garden (Lanham/Graham), during the 10 am-2 pm festival:
The Urban Survival Skills Fair offers an opportunity to gain a variety of preparedness-related skills and useful knowledge from experts. Topics may include:
Amateur Radio — Learn about one of the few communication tools that do not depend on the internet.
Develop a disaster communication plan — Communication is critical during a disaster. What should you consider when making your own plan?
Learn some useful camping hacks and share your best hacks with us!
Build an emergency toilet! We’ll have 50 free toilets to give away (first come, first serve). Learn what to do if the sewer lines have broken or if there is no water.
Prepared Communities — Learn more about the network of Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs and about the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs.
Prepared Families — Take some high impact, low-cost steps that can help your family and household make it through any situation.
Prepared Neighbors — Learn about the City of Seattle’s SNAP (Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare) program.
Prepared Pets — What steps can you take to make sure that your pet stays safe in a disaster?
Prepared Schools — Do you understand the “reunification process” that schools may implement following a disaster?
Smartphone Emergency Apps — Take steps before a disaster to download useful tools…many will function even without a cellphone signal. Do you know of other apps?
Utilities — Do you know when or if you should shut off utilities such as gas, water and electricity, and how to do so safely?
Water — Do you know how to properly store and purify water? Following the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, people were without running water for over a year.
This should provide a great opportunity for people who attended our “Is West Seattle Prepared?” events last fall to get more detailed information and hands on skills for preparedness. For those who were not able to attend, videos of those events were just completed and are available at the following links:
Introductory comments, October 7, 2018:
Glenn Farley, KING 5 NewsKeynote Speakers, Nov. 3, 2018:
Dave Nichols, WS Resident, Certified Professional Emergency Manager and ShelterBox Response Team Member
Sandi Doughton, and author of “Full Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest”Keynote Speakers, Oct. 7, 2018:
Ken Neafcy, WS Resident and Certified Professional Emergency Manager
Harold Tobin, Director, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. University of Washington Professor, Dept. of Earth and Space SciencesCity of Seattle and King County Public Health – Role of Government in Disasters, Nov. 3, 2018:
Seattle Fire Department – Lt. Andrews, Station 29
Seattle Police Department – Lt. James Britt, SW Precinct.
Seattle Office of Emergency Management – Melanie Cole, Outreach and Training Specialist
King County Public Health – Carina Elsenboss, Preparedness DirectorSkills Training, Nov 3, 2018
Scout Troop 282
What should be in your disaster kit
Water purification
Disaster SanitationMacGyver Tips – what you can do with a garbage bag.
Brian Nozynski
As for the rest of the Bee Festival – look for that preview Thursday!
(1949 earthquake damage near Harbor/Spokane; photo from the Seattle Municipal Archives)
Thanks to Mark Jaroslaw for pointing out that today marked exactly 70 years since Puget Sound’s biggest earthquake of the 20th century. The 7.1-magnitude South Sound quake at 11:55 am April 13, 1949, led to the deaths of eight people. Two were students – at schools in Tacoma in Castle Rock. Here in West Seattle, damage at a school was among the most notable in the city, mentioned with other nearby damage in the HistoryLink.org summary of the quake: “… At Lafayette Elementary School in West Seattle, the large brick gable over the main entrance collapsed. Three bridges crossing the Duwamish River were jammed shut due to shifting earth. …” The school damage – to a building that was predecessor to the current Lafayette – is featured in this post by historian Paul Dorpat. But because – like the 2001 quake – it was centered in the South Sound, that’s where it hit hardest; The Olympian published a story today featuring quake survivors’ memories.
SO, ARE YOU READY? The anniversary is another reminder that you need to be prepared for the next big quake. If you need some inspiration, next month you’ll find it at the West Seattle Bee Festival – an Urban Survival Skills Fair presented by West Seattle Be Prepared is part of the plan for the festival, 10 am-2 pm on Saturday, May 18th, at High Point Commons Park.
If you were in this area 18 years ago, right now you were coping with the aftermath of the Nisqually earthquake, which hit at 10:54 am on February 28, 2001, with a magnitude of 6.8. Someday, the experts say, something even bigger will hit. It’s the natural disaster you most need to prepare for, and you are lucky to have neighbors who are dedicated to helping. To mark the anniversary, they’re sharing the video (by local videographer Mark Jaroslaw) from two of the keynote presentations at a full-house preparedness event in West Seattle back in November:
Journalist Sandi Doughton and preparedness Dave Nichols were just two of the presenters; we covered the entire event and published this report afterward. As our headline noted, the most important preparedness plan is the one for your home, your family, your neighborhood – especially in the early aftermath, even the professional responders will be overwhelmed, and you need to be ready to be self-reliant. Lots more resources, by the way, are available at West Seattle Be Prepared.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
On the long to-do lists that usurp most days for most people, it’s easy to let the maybes slide beneath the certainties.
Thanksgiving? Definitely a week and a half away.
Catastrophic earthquake? Could happen tomorrow … or not in your lifetime, or your children’s lifetimes, or their children’s lifetimes.
Still, about 200 people filled the auditorium at Hiawatha Community Center a week ago to start their weekend getting practical advice for getting ready for the latter.
It was a power-packed few hours, going beyond the standard advice you might have tuned out despite best intentions.
The longtime local volunteers of West Seattle Be Prepared and the West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs were elated by the turnout. It was the second of two nearly identical weekend sessions they had organized, the first one a month earlier at High Point Community Center. They’re hoping to do it again in 2019. Before our toplines: Highlights from videographer Mark Jaroslaw:
The event provided more than preparedness advice – it gave a bigger view, too, as well as a behind-the-scenes window into how public servants are, and are not, getting ready:
Taking cover under classroom desks was only part of the plan as Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor) participated in today’s Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill. No matter how ready you are, an earthquake or natural disaster can lead to injuries, so EWMS practiced dealing with those too:
Preparedness means having supplies on hand (this includes suggestions):
And it means everyone’s involved. Here’s EW head of school Evan Hundley:
There was a communications component too – this text was sent to EWMS parents:
P.S. As mentioned in our daily highlights list and calendar, Explorer West has the first of three open houses for prospective families tonight – 6:30-8 pm, 10015 28th SW.
It was a one-shop preparedness stop at High Point Community Center on Sunday afternoon – the first of two big educational events local volunteers led by West Seattle Be Prepared are presenting this fall. Thanks to Karen Berge for sharing photos and notes! And yes, it wasn’t all deadly serious – above, Brian Nozynski from the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club shared a “MacGyver Moment” of improvisation with Cindi Barker of WSBP. (What he’s wearing is a “giant contractor’s bag” you can buy and carry everywhere – it can be used as clothing, sleeping cover, and more.) Informational displays were of course part of the event:
KING TV journalist Glenn Farley moderated; speakers were from a variety of organizations and areas of expertise, including Harold Tobin of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, who Karen reports “talked about the science of earthquakes – the different types, the frequency and potential magnitudes and the damage that might occur. He also talked about the new early warning system and what some of the benefits of that technology are. Even if it provides only 5 to 10 seconds of warning, it would allow time for citizens to drop-cover-hold and for critical operations to be paused or stopped.” Local Scouts helped present disaster-skills training:
Their presentations included disaster kits, water purification, and disaster sanitation. A recurrent theme: Emergency responders will be overwhelmed, so you have to be prepared to care for yourself and your loved ones – advice included having 2 weeks of provisions, and have disaster kits in your home, workplace, and vehicle. Before the three-hour-long event concluded, attendees were urged to get familiar with their nearest Emergency Communication Hubs and the volunteer captains for them.
P.S. Though signups are already full for the next presentation in November, there are other things you can do if you didn’t register in time – request SNAP training for your group, block, building, etc.; go play Disaster Trivia this Wednesday; browse the WSBP website and learn lots more about being ready.
Things are going to get disastrous during the next Trivia Night at Talarico’s in The Junction. The announcement explains:
Wednesday, October 10th is “Disaster Trivia Night” at Talarico’s Pizzeria, 4718 California Ave SW. Starting at 8:30 pm and going until about 10:15, you and your friends can test your knowledge about disaster preparedness and disaster movies.
In addition to the prizes awarded to the top finishers, West Seattle Be Prepared, our local preparedness group, will hold a raffle of disaster supplies as a fundraiser. See how much you know and at the same time you will help out a great organization. $2 to play, which becomes the prize money.
See how much you know, learn something you don’t, help out a great organization, and do it all with beer and pizza or pasta and wine (are those survival foods?)
It’s best to make a reservation at Talarico’s to ensure your team has a seat! 206-937-3463. Over 21 only. Questions? Email info@westseattlebeprepared.org
Lots of reminders about this today but there still might be somebody who hasn’t heard about it, so we’ll join in too: An emergency test message will be sent to cell phones, TV, and radio tomorrow (Wednesday, October 3rd). From the official FEMA webpage explaining the test, which starts at 11:18 am our time:
The WEA test message will appear on consumers’ phones and read, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” Phones will display this national test using the header “Presidential Alert.” These nationwide alerts, established pursuant to the WARN Act of 2006, are meant for use in a national emergency and are the only type of alert that can be sent simultaneously nationwide by FEMA.
… Many members of the public will receive the WEA test message on their cell phones. Specifically, beginning at 2:18 p.m. EDT, cell towers will broadcast the WEA test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message. Wireless phones should receive the message only once.
The same FEMA page has details about the TV/radio test set to start two minutes later (11:20 am our time).
That’s your video invitation to a free preparedness event unlike any other you’ve attended. 2-5 pm Sunday, October 7th, at High Point Community Center (repeated 9-noon November 3rd at Hiawatha Community Center), West Seattle Be Prepared and the Emergency Communication Hubs invite you to learn and talk about how to be ready for The Big One. This isn’t just somebody showing you how to put together a kit – though that kind of preparedness is part of it – the event will include:
*MC Glenn Farley, natural-disasters reporter from KING 5 News
*Opening keynotes by Dave Nichols, certified Emergency Manager and West Seattle resident speaking on community preparedness, and Northwest earthquake science (Harold Tobin, Director, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, for October, Sandi Doughton, Seattle Times science reporter, for November)
*Hear about response plans from Seattle Police, Fire, Emergency Management, and King County Public Health.
*Skills training including utility shutoff, water purification, disaster sanitation, home retrofitting, even “MacGyver tips – what you can do with a Garbage Bag”
There’s still space but sign up ASAP – go here to do that.
P.S. Here are flyers you can share with neighbors, in four languages:
*English
*Spanish
*Vietnamese
*Somali
(WSB photo from 2013: ShelterBox USA’s Dave Nichols at a local demo)
Summer’s not over yet – and the benefit barbecues continue tomorrow (Saturday) at West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor). Tomorrow, it’s educational as well as tasty – here’s the announcement from beneficiary and spotlight nonprofit ShelterBox USA:
Saturday from 11:00 AM until 2 PM, Thriftway will be conducting a barbecue fundraiser for ShelterBox USA.
There are disasters around the world we never hear about; there is a special group of volunteer aid workers that drop their jobs and go there to provide Shelter, Warmth & Dignity.
ShelterBox is an international aid organization that is volunteer-led and often arrives on the ground at the scene of a disaster within 48-72 hours.
One of our own West Seattle residents, Dave Nichols, has spent the last 6 years responding to those disasters; to date he has deployed to 6 disasters, from The Philippines to Madagascar, working as part of a two-person team bringing shelter to those affected by disaster or conflict displacement. Dave is one of a small highly trained group of ShelterBox Volunteer Response Team (SRT) members (there are currently about 156 worldwide).
Dave will be on hand to answer questions at Thriftway from 11-2; stop by and say hi.
Since 2000, ShelterBox has provided shelter, warmth and dignity following more than 200 disasters in over 85 countries. ShelterBox instantly responds to earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricane, cyclone, tsunami or conflict by delivering boxes of aid. Each iconic green ShelterBox contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, stove, blankets and water filtration system, among other tools for survival.
Can’t make it to tomorrow’s barbecue? Individual tax-deductible donations to ShelterBox USA can be made at shelterboxusa.org.
(First two photos courtesy Tamsen Spengler)
If you live/work in the High Point area, the Neighborhood House center is where you’d go in case of catastrophe – it’s the local Emergency Communication Hub. And it was one of three West Seattle hubs “activated” by volunteers this morning for the drill we previewed earlier this week.
As announced, volunteers ran through a scenario in which not only was there a massive power outage, cellular communication was out too. That’s when point-to-point radio communication comes in handy – the next photo shows Shane Marr, longtime GMRS Net Control operator:
(This photo and next two, courtesy of Karen Berge)
The message board is always key to a hub – it’s where resources and needs would be tracked:
Not sure where your nearest hub is? Go here to find it. And remember – it’s an all-volunteer effort – here are High Point’s new hub captains, Johnny Schmidt and Robert Landis:
Karen Berge adds, “One very cool aspect of today’s drill was that we had two observers who drove down from British Columbia to watch this field exercise. They said that they learned a lot from watching us, as they are in the early stages of setting up a hub there. Conversely, during our debrief after the exercise, we learned some useful things from them.”
(WSB photo from hub drill last July)
From Pigeon Point to High Point to Fauntleroy, three local Emergency Communication Hubs will be participating in a drill this Saturday morning, 8:30-noon – to prepare for something everyone hopes will never happen. And you can help! We’ve mentioned it a few times before, and here’s the official announcement:
Imagine there is a major power blackout covering Seattle and the metro area. There is no cellular phone service. No one knows the cause of the outage or knows when power and cell service may be restored. Emergency generators at hospitals and other essential service providers can only last as long as there is fuel. How would the region communicate?
This is the scenario behind the “Power Out, No Bars” exercise that Seattle ham radio operators and designated emergency Hub volunteers throughout the City will be testing. The Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), a volunteer organization operating under the auspices of the Seattle Office of Emergency Management, and the Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs, a grass-roots, neighborhood network of community members, will jointly conduct the citywide communications exercise.
The drill simulates the day after an unexplained failure of grid power and cellular service, with no updates on when either would be restored. Because the Hubs are the major residential and business resources for neighborhoods, situational awareness, resource coordination, and communications between the Hubs, ACS, and the city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are critical.
The key goals of the exercise are:
*Activate several neighborhood Communication Hubs and Seattle ACS, emphasizing reliable, efficient, accurate message management and documentation. Exercise participants will use voice as well as data communications via radio, throughout the city.
*Demonstrate, practice, and assess the ability to communicate up and down the various levels of the response structure, based on the Incident Command System (ICS), which spells out a hierarchical, yet flexible, means of managing emergency situations.
*Build strong working relationships among Emergency Communication Hub members and ACS members, through team problem solving and practice.
Exercise Scenario
In an event such as the one this exercise portrays, the neighborhood Hubs would mobilize to assist with the immediate needs of residents, especially those who may need emergency services. The ACS would also have activated shortly after the scope of the outage was known, with sector sites around the city providing situation reports and helping coordinate emergency and logistical responses.
“In a citywide or regional event, people will need to go to neighborhood gathering places to find access to information and start matching resources and skills to what is needed” said Cindi Barker of West Seattle, one of Seattle’s Hub Captains.
“Power Out, No Bars is the latest in a series of emergency exercises that have helped our membership continually hone their skills and upgrade, deploy, and test their equipment,” said Mark Sheppard, founder and director of ACS. “This is critical to improving our ability to be more effective and be better prepared to face a real emergency or natural disaster.
Here are the West Seattle hubs participating:
*Pigeon Point Hub, 20th Ave SW & SW Genesee St
*High Point Hub at Neighborhood House, 6400 Sylvan Way SW
*Fauntleroy United Church of Christ Hub, 9140 California Ave SW
You are invited to stop by and observe, or participate, 9 am-noon Saturday. For more background info – West Seattle’s hubs are explained here; the citywide hubs here; you can find out more about Amateur Radio here.
(WSB file photo from past drill)
Early heads-up in case you can help – three weeks from tomorrow, neighborhood volunteers could use your help during another disaster drill. Here’s the announcement:
Imagine if all power and normal communications were down – what would you do?
Come see what your community is doing to be prepared.
Join us in a simulated full city power outage field exercise of the Seattle Emergency Communications Hubs and the Seattle Auxiliary Communication Service
April 28, 2018, 9:00 am – noon
Join us as a participant or a volunteer!
Emergency communication hubs – predetermined meeting places you would go for information in case of a catastrophic loss of regular communication – will be “activated” citywide for the drill, including three in West Seattle. Show up at one of them to be part of the April 28th drill:
• Fauntleroy United Church of Christ (9140 California SW)
• High Point Neighborhood House (6400 Sylvan Way SW)
• Pigeon Point (20th SW/SW Genesee)
Even if you can’t participate in or even observe this drill, check the West Seattle hubs map to learn the location nearest you, just in case:
You’ll find more West Seattle-specific preparedness information at westseattlebeprepared.org.
P.S. To sign up in advance as a volunteer/participant, or if you have a question, e-mail info@westseattlebeprepared.org.
3:42 PM: There’s a small Seattle City Light outage in Riverview right now after what a tipster texted us was a boom that they suspect involved a transformer. The SCL map notation attributes the outage to “equipment failure.” Meantime, we want to remind you that the forecast calls for things to get windy tonight and early tomorrow, possibly gusting up to 33 mph – no official alert, but there wasn’t one last Sunday either, when gusts took down trees and took out power, so you’d be wise to be ready just in case.
10:05 PM: Jen says in a comment that the power was restored around 9:15.
P.S. Forecasters are still predicting a windy night and early morning – keep everything charged!
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