Beach Drive Blog

I just received this email from King County with a request to post this safety information on my blogs for our local community:

Are you prepared?  Steps to stay safe in this weekend's storm

With high winds forecast for this weekend and possible power outages, it's time to take steps to stay save and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

How to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide can kill you or cause serious injury.  Carbon monoxide gas comes from burning fuels such as gasoline, propane, oil, kerosene, natural gas, coal or wood.  Here are some steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Never use a gas or charcoal grill, hibachi, or portable propane heater to cook indoors or heat your home.

• During a power outage or at any other time, do not operate fuel-powered machinery such as a generator indoors, including in the garage.

• Avoid combustion "space heaters" unless there is an exhaust vent.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can strike suddenly and without warning.  In some cases, physical symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include splitting headache, nausea and vomiting, and lethargy and fatigue.  If you believe you could be experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, get fresh air immediately.  Call for medical help from a neighbors home.  The fire department will tell you when it's safe to reenter the home.

For a full list of carbon monoxide prevention tips and other safety and disaster information in English and other languages, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/disaster

Other important safety tips

• Make sure you are wearing enough warm clothing before going outdoors.  Wind speed can create dangerously cold conditions even when the temperature is not that low.
• If you think power will be out for several days, check with your city for location of warming shelters.
• Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia-slurred speech, confusion, uncontrollable shivering, stumbling, drowsiness and body temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit or less.  Get medical help immediately if you think someone has frostbite or hypothermia.
• Check on elderly friends, family, and neighbors to make sure they are safe.
• If power goes out where you live, keep food safe by keeping the doors closed on your refrigerators and freezers as much as possible.  A full freezer can stay at freezing temperatures about two days'' a half-full freezer about 1 day.  Potentially hazardous foods, like meet and fish, should be discarded if thawed and warmer than 41 degrees.

West Seattle Blog has compiled a great list of things to do to prepare for the pending wind/snow storm and emergency numbers here.   I remember almost exactly two years ago, we were without power for 6 days!  From listening to the news, it sounds like our area will be hit more with snow and east King County/Cascade foothills will be slammed with strong winds.  Let's hope for another near miss with Mother Nature!

From the Seattle City Forecast (click here for updated reports):

…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SUNDAY…

TODAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW THIS AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S TO LOWER 30S. SOUTHEAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

TONIGHT…WINDY…SNOW…HEAVY AT TIMES ESPECIALLY WEST OF PUGET SOUND. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 6 INCHES EXCEPT UP TO 12 INCHES WEST OF PUGET SOUND. LOWS IN THE 20S. EAST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SUNDAY…SNOW AT TIMES IN THE MORNING…POSSIBLY MIXING WITH OR CHANGING TO FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET. SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL SNOW AND POSSIBLY SLEET ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 3 INCHES. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S. BREEZY WITH SOUTH WIND 15 TO 25 MPH DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

Puget Sound Marine Forecast:

…SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT…

TODAY…E WIND 10 TO 15 KT RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW DEVELOPING LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT…SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. SNOW…MIXING WITH SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN SEATTLE SOUTHWARD LATE.

Brrrr-rr-r-r-r-r-r-r!