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‘Take Winter by Storm’ Launches Winter Weather Preparedness Campaign

Major Public/Private Agencies Join Forces

SEATTLE, Wash. (Oct. 19, 2009) — The winter storm season is at hand, and four regional organizations—representing Washington state’s largest county, city, energy utilities and the leading insurer of homes and automobiles—are joining in a major multi-media public awareness campaign to protect lives and property.

Sponsored by King County, the City of Seattle, Puget Sound Energy and State Farm, the “Take Winter by Storm” campaign is designed to help citizens and businesses get prepared and stay informed when bad weather strikes.

Today’s kick-off event, at Seattle’s state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center, featured meteorologist Andy Wappler showing a collection of items every family needs to be safe this winter. He also offered a preview of the Take Winter by Storm public service announcements (see box) that will hit the airwaves, as well as news and sponsor Web sites, this week and will run through the end of December.

Two surveys produced by Survey USA showed trends that while 68 percent of residents saw or heard messages last year about winter weather preparedness, only 38 percent were more prepared for winter last year versus the previous year. These results indicate that although more people are aware of the need to prepare for winter storms, many still have done nothing to get themselves ready. Finally, 48 percent surveyed felt that local government and utility companies could be doing more to encourage homeowners to be prepared for winter storms.

The focal point of the campaign is to raise public awareness of the Take Winter by Storm Web site, www.takewinterbystorm.org, a one-stop emergency preparedness center that includes safety tips and regional resources for information about the weather, power outages, flooding, shelters and assistance agencies.

In addition to the seasonal PSAs and year-round Web site, campaign elements also include:

• Media events highlighting specific aspects of winter weather preparedness
• Preparedness tip tweets - or ‘twips’ - through Twitter @WinterByStorm, providing the public with one twip per day to be prepared and keep safe
• Take Winter by Storm Facebook page where the public can interact with the campaign and each other and provide their own tips, upload pictures and video, and provide feedback

The Take Winter by Storm campaign, which began in 1998, greatly expanded three years ago and has continually broadened its regional scope and partnership to provide relevant, timely emergency preparedness information. The campaign encourages every family, business and community to be prepared before potentially devastating rains, floods and winds threaten the Puget Sound region.

Preparation tips include:

• Assemble several emergency kits with a radio, flashlight, extra batteries, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, bottled water and three days of non-perishable food and drinking water. Store a kit at home, work and in your car.
• Stay out of the way of flood waters. Play it safe and stay out of low-lying areas during times of heavy rains. If your basement is prone to flooding, stay out of the basement until the risk of flooding has passed.
• Keep storm drains clear to prevent flooding. Don't put grass clippings, leaves or other debris into drains, ditches, creeks, culverts, gutters or ravines (it’s against the law). If you live at the base of a hill or on a cliff, ensure that drainage and retaining walls are in good shape. Preventative planting can also help reduce the chance of a mud slide or flooding.
• Sign up for Seattle’s “Adopt-A-Drain” program. Contact the program at (206) 684-7647 or email adoptadrain@seattle.gov. Participants will be provided with free gloves, bags, brooms, rakes and safety vests, as well as help with leaf disposal.
• Maintain gutters and downspouts. Twice a year, clean your gutters and the drainage downspouts attached to your roof. Direct flows from downspouts away from your home, without discharging flows to adjacent properties.
• Always stay away from downed power lines and report power outages to your local utility.
• Get snow route information for driving and transit in advance of roads being closed.
• Never use charcoal or gas grills as an indoor heating or cooking source. Carbon monoxide can be deadly.
• Establish an out-of-area contact for family members to call should the local phone system be out of service.
• Review your insurance coverage regularly with your agent to identify needs and gaps. Make sure you have the appropriate policies for flood or endorsements for losses like back-up of sewers and drains, which are not covered in a standard homeowner’s policy.
• Take the time to compile a home inventory, including a detailed list of your possessions with receipts, descriptions, and—if possible—photos. Keep the inventory in a safe deposit box or other safe location away from your home.
• Store heirlooms and priceless family photographs on upper floors where they will be safer from flood waters. Items stored in basement areas should be shelved, and furniture should be on casters or shims away from floor drains.

For information about how to prepare for bad weather and what to do when storms do come our way, as well as accessing links to resources with information about road and pass conditions, transit snow plans, flooding conditions, coping with power disruptions and preparing for emergencies in the greater Seattle-King County area, visit www.takewinterbystorm.org.

About Puget Sound Energy

Washington state’s oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy serves more than 1 million electric customers and nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in 11 counties. A subsidiary of Puget Energy, PSE meets the energy needs of its growing customer base through incremental, cost-effective energy conservation, procurement of sustainable energy resources, and far-sighted investment in the energy-delivery infrastructure. PSE employees are dedicated to providing great customer service and delivering energy that is safe, reliable, reasonably priced, and environmentally responsible.

Contact information:

Puget Sound Energy:
Davina Gruenstein, 1-888-831-7250

King County:
Lynne Miller, 206-205-4031

City of Seattle:
Andy Ryan, 206-619-3893

State Farm®:
Nancy Carpenter, 253-912-7257