Monday, March 29, 2010

weather.gov National Weather ServiceWatches, Warnings & Advisories



4 Miles ESE Dayton WA
Wind Advisory

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
413 AM PDT MON MAR 29 2010

...STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF OREGON AND
WASHINGTON TODAY...

.A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING VERY STRONG LOW AND MID LEVEL WINDS TO THE REGION. THESE WINDS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE TODAY IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON...AND ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN WASHINGTON CASCADES.

STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN YAKIMA VALLEY...BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS...THE CONDON AND FOSSIL AREA...THE JOHN DAY BASIN AND WALLOWA COUNTY THROUGH THIS EVENING.
THE WINDS WILL DECREASE LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.


LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ARLINGTON...BOARDMAN...HERMISTON...IONE...HEPPNER...PENDLETON...PILOT ROCK...SUNNYSIDE...TOPPENISH...YAKIMA...CONNELL...PROSSER...TRICITIES...DAYTON...WAITSBURG...WALLA WALLA

413 AM PDT MON MAR 29 2010

A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING.

* TIMING: WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TODAY AND BECOME VERY WINDY. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE DECREASING THIS EVENING.

* WINDS: SOUTHWEST WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS CAN BE EXPECTED ON MONDAY.

* IMPACTS: VERY WINDY CONDITIONS MAY LEAD TO PATCHY BLOWING DUST AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN THE LOWER YAKIMA VALLEY AND IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS ARE FORECAST BETWEEN 30 AND 39 MPH OR GUSTS RANGING FROM 45 TO 57 MPH.
WINDS OF THESE MAGNITUDES CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY FOR
HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE MAY ALSO OCCUR. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON.


HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
500 AM PDT MON MAR 29 2010

EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-
CENTRAL OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-
WALLOWA COUNTY-FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES-JOHN DAY BASIN-OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON-KITTITAS VALLEY-YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-


THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
STRONG WIND
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, WALLOWA COUNTY, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES, JOHN DAY BASIN

A STRONG PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...BRINGING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW TO THE
AREA. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING.

ADDITIONALLY...VERY STRONG LOW AND MID LEVEL WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL OREGON...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT ALONG RIDGES. VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON...THE YAKIMA VALLEY...THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND SURROUNDING HIGHER ELEVATIONS...THE JOHN DAY BASIN AND WALLOWA COUNTY. NUMEROUS ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT. REFER TO LATEST PDXNPWPDT FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
SNOW TUESDAY
CENTRAL OREGON
A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION MONDAY AFTERNOON USHERING IN COOLER AIR RESULTING IN LOWER SNOW LEVELS. SNOW LEVELS IN CENTRAL OREGON WILL LOWER TO 3500 FEET ON MONDAY EVENING. RAIN WILL CHANGE
TO SNOW MAINLY TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF BEND AND REDMOND WHERE
SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY. A
WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA ABOVE 3500 FEET. PLEASE
REFER TO LATEST PDXWSWPDT FOR MORE DETAILS.

UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PDT/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML
ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Protecting Children From Unintentional Poisoning

SAFE KIDS


It is natural for children to explore their surroundings, unless they’re getting under the kitchen sink or into the medicine cabinet where hazardous chemicals and adult medicines are kept.

Each year, unintentional poisoning is the cause of death for approximately 100 children ages 14 years and under and poison control centers in the United States receive 1.2 million calls as a result of accidental poisoning of children ages 5 and under. Nearly 90 percent of these toxic exposures occur in the home, and 56 percent involve non-pharmaceutical products such as cosmetics, cleansers, personal care products, plants, pesticides, art supplies, alcohol and toys.

Child-resistant packaging is credited with saving hundreds of children’s lives since its introduction in the 1970s. Still, there is no substitute for active supervision and childproofing.

“If a child is choking, having trouble breathing or having a seizure, call 911 instead,” said Sage. “Follow the 911 operator’s instructions. Do not induce vomiting or give the child any fluid or medication unless directed.”

Safe Kids offers these additional tips:
~ Lock up potential poisons out of sight and reach of kids. This includes makeup, medicine, plants, cleaning products, pesticides, art supplies, baking extracts, and beer, wine and liquor.~ Never leave kids alone with an open container of something you wouldn’t want them to ingest. A child can be poisoned in a matter of seconds.
~ Don’t refer to medicine or vitamins as candy and don’t involve children as helpers with your medication.
~ Choose medicines and products that have child-resistant caps. When you are giving medicine to your children, follow dosage directions carefully.
~ Keep products in their original containers. Read labels to learn if a product is poisonous and for first aid information.
~ If your home was built before 1978, test for lead-based paint and get your child tested for lead exposure. Children inhale the dust of lead-based paint and can build up enough lead in their blood to affect intelligence, growth and development.
~ Install a carbon monoxide alarm outside every sleeping area and on every level of your home. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that builds up around fuel-burning appliances and cars in garages. It can make a child seriously ill in concentrations that would barely affect an adult.
~ Know which plants in and around your home can be poisonous.
~ Discuss these precautions with grandparents and caregivers. They may have medications that can be very dangerous to children and their homes might not be as well childproofed as yours.

Learn the toll-free poison control center number: 1-800-222-1222 and keep the number near every phone in your home and program it into your cell phone. This number connects you to your local poison control center from anywhere in the United States.

For more information on Safe Kids contact:

Safe Kids Blue Mountain Coordinator
Providence St Mary Medical Center
209 W. Poplar
Walla Walla, WA 99328
509.529.8929 Office
509.520.4837 Cell
509.522.5915 Fax

Friday, March 12, 2010

Disaster Resistant Training for Small Businesses

When: March 23rd, 2010
Where: 415 Guernsey, Dayton- Public Works Conference Room
Time: 0800 - 10:00

Can your business bounce back from the impacts of an earthquake, flood, or severe weather storm?

Does you business continuity plan include redundancy strategies to ensure your business can continue operation in the case of a power outage or phone interruption?

According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety an estimated 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. Building a continuity plan and taking proactive steps toward preparedness will reduce this risk, protect stakeholder's interests, and ensure continuation of services.

The Chamber of Commerce and Columbia County Emergency Management in conjunction with Washington State Emergency Management is providing the businesses of Columbia County an opportunity to have the new DRBToolkit a $300.00 value for free.

The Toolkit provides a fictitious business, the ABC Coffee Company, to help walk you through this process. Chapters contain templates which when completed will become a part of your final disaster plan. To assist you in completing the templates, examples are given for the ABC Coffee Company.

After you have finished the Toolkit, you will have a disaster program and plan (also know as a Business Continuity Program). You will be far better prepared for a disaster than you are today, and probably better prepared than many of your competitors. Your plan will have the following elements:


  • Identify the types of emergencies that may impact your business.

  • Understand how to prevent some emergency situations from developing.

  • Prepare to lessen the impacts of those emergencies that do occur.

  • Respond to protect life, business environment, and property during an emergency.
  • Recover and resume business operations in the post-emergency environment.
For questions please contact:
Columbia County Emergency Management
Lisa Caldwell
509-382-2534 ext:208
or
The Chamber of Commerce
Lisa Ronnberg
509-382-4825

Winter Weather Advisory

The National Weather Service in Pendleton has Issued a Winter Weather Advisory Above 3500 Feet for Snow, Which is in Effectfrom 4pm this Afternoon to 10am PST Saturday.

The Winter Stormwatch is No Longer in Effect.*

Snow Accumulations:4 to 7 Inches in the Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon, 5 to 9 Inches in the Northern Blue Mountains OfOregon and Northwest Blue Mountains of Washington.* Elevation: Above 3500 Feet.*

Timing: Snow will Begin Late this Afternoon and Early Evening.It will Become Moderate to Heavy Overnight Into SaturdayMorning Before Tapering Off to Showers Saturday Afternoon.* Locations Include: Ski Bluewood Resort, Meacham, Tollgate Battle Mountain, Lehman Hot Springs*

Winds: winds will be 15 to 25 MPH with Gusts to 35 MPH today then decrease overnight and Saturday to around 10 MPH.*

Impacts: Travel Along Interstate 84 and Highways 204, 244and 395 will Have Difficult Driving Conditions Due to The Snow and Blowing or Drifting Snow.

Precautionary/preparedness Actions A Winter Weather Advisory is Issued When Snow is Occurring or IsExpected to Develop and Accumulate. Travel May Be Hazardous, on Bridges, Overpasses, and SecondaryRoads. Motorists are Urged to Use Extreme Caution, and Slow Downto Adjust for Rapidly Changing Driving Conditions and Reduced Visibilities.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Multi-Hazard Mitigation Public Meetings

Public Meetings
Asotin - March 10th, 6:30 pm, County Annex Building
Garfield - March 11th, 6:30 pm, Pomeroy High School Cafeteria
Public input is being sought in order to better frame the region's efforts for hazard reduction projects, resouce enhancements, and emergency prepardness.Learn about the hazards and potential mitigation projects that have been identified in Asotin, Garfield and Columbia County.

Discuss your priorities for how our community can best reduce the impacts of these events.
There will be a slideshow presentation delivered by Northwest Management, Inc and a question and answer period to follow.