Disaster Preparedness Resource 2023 Edit page

Catlin Crest & Summit View Emergency Preparedness Resources, Jan 2023

This is a summary of resources available for local and regional emergency preparedness and rapid notification of events such as major storms, fires and earthquakes. CCOA provides this information for the safety and security of our neighborhood. CCOA recommends that homeowners review these resources and take measures to improve your awareness of how to respond to various natural disasters that can affect your home, property and personal safety. We encourage our neighbors to familiarize themselves with the home, county and statewide emergency and disaster resources shown below. They provide valuable information.

1. GENERAL PUBLIC ALERT NOTIFICATIONs – Washington County has a Public Health Emergency Preparedness website for local and regional emergencies called, “Public Alerts.” You can sign up for Public Alerts to receive early warning information including storms, fires, etc. at: Public Health Emergency Preparedness | Washington County, OR (washingtoncountyor.gov)

2. TUALATIN VALLEY WATER DISTRICT (TVWD) - Emergency Preparedness | Tualatin Valley Water District Oregon (tvwd.org) If you have an emergency and need help shutting off your water at the meter or locating your water meter, call TVWD at (503) 848-3000. For leaks or outages within the TVWD, you can go online to: System Leaks and Outages | Tualatin Valley Water District Oregon (tvwd.org)

3. NW NATURAL (Formerly Northwest Natural Gas) - Emergency preparedness at home - NW Natural NW Natural’s website contains useful information that every Catlin Crest and Summit View homeowner should be familiar with, most importantly, knowing how to shut off the natural gas to your home in the event of a gas leak following earthquakes or leaking gas in your home. The link to NW Natural’s website shows a one minute video how to shut off the gas to your home at the outside gas meter.

4. TUALATIN VALLEY FIRE & RESCUE - Emergency and Disaster Preparedness | Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (tvfr.com)

         If you have a fire or a medical emergency and need help, call 911.

5. PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC (PGE) - Home (portlandgeneral.com)

        For outages, emergencies and power problems,

        Call PGE at 503-464-7777 or 800-544-1795, 24 hours a day.

6. WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE - Sheriff's Office | Washington County, OR (washingtoncountyor.gov)
   
   

         For non-emergencies, call 503-629-0111. For emergencies, call 911.

7. RAPID EARTHQUAKE ALERT INFORMATION – There are two cellphone apps called QuakeAlertUSA and MyShake which provide the earliest possible warning of significant earthquakes along the west coast. Information is available at:  Oregon Department of Emergency Management : ShakeAlert® in Oregon : Hazards and Preparedness : State of Oregon

8. OREGON OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT – OEM has useful information about hazards, preparedness, and statewide emergency management resources. Oregon Department of Emergency Management : OEM Home Page : State of Oregon

Winterizing your home

• Drain your irrigation system. This should be a part of your commercial landscape maintenance. Otherwise, you can do it yourself with a water shutoff underground valve key available at Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.
• Detach your hose(s) and cover the spigots. Water left in the hose/spout can cause pipes to crack and the spouts to malfunction.
• Caulk any cracks or holes around your windows. Gaps between windows and siding allow entry of water, cold air and insects.
• Clear the gutters. With more precipitation in the winter months, your gutters need to function as well as possible.
• Clean up the roof and siding. If you notice moss build-up (common in the PNW), it’s best to have it professionally removed.
• Bring in outdoor furniture and grills.
• Insulate water-supply pipes. This should include the attic, crawl spaces, and garage. Foam pipe covers work well and are easy to install.
• Adjust the thermostat. Keep the thermostat above 50 degrees.
• Additional information: How to winterize your home (preparing for the cold) | The Seattle Times.

Flood control around the home

Heavy rains from “atmospheric rivers” are a part of the long range weather forecasts in the United States; Climate Change Projected to Increase Atmospheric River Flood Damages in the United States | Scripps Institution of Oceanography (ucsd.edu). Atmospheric rivers are long, concentrated regions in the atmosphere that transport moist air from the tropics to higher latitudes. The moist air, combined with high wind speeds, produce heavy rain and snow upon landfall, especially over mountainous terrain.

There are things you can do to mitigate the effects of prolonged heavy rainfall and high winds:

• Inspect and if necessary remediate drainage systems around your home like clogged French drains or consider other drainage options where there is water flow against the home during heavy rainfalls.
• Inspect and mitigate flooding that might occur in your home’s crawl space after heavy rain.

Fire mitigation around the home

Wildfires are becoming more common in the Pacific Northwest during periods of drought and high temperatures. A useful resource for fire mitigation strategies is the National Fire Protection Association: NFPA - Preparing homes for wildfire. Here are a few things you can do on your property to help protect your home during the fire season:

• Remove dead plants, grass and large, weedy vegetation.
• Remove dead or dry leaves and pine needles from your yard, roof and rain gutters.
• Remove branches, especially dead branches and those that hang over your roof. Keep branches away from your chimney.
• Consider planting fire and drought resistant vegetation.

Emergency provisions

A useful source of information about supplies that are valuable during a natural disaster can be found at the website, Ready, a National public service agency: Build A Kit | Ready.gov.