INSIDE

Are you ready for the big one?

Whatcom County may not be of high risk to tsunamis, hurricanes or tornadoes, but it is at considerable risk to a variety of other disasters, both natural and man-made.

The Whatcom County division of emergency management (DEM), a department responsible for community emergency and disaster preparedness as well as response and recovery efforts, lists a variety of county-wide hazards on its web site, including floods, earthquakes, landslides, severe weather, exposure to hazardous materials and even possible volcanoes.

A January 2003 hazard identification and vulnerability study by the DEM found that the most likely disasters, however, were flooding, severe weather and tidal flooding as a result of storms followed by exposure to hazardous materials.

In the last 50 years, the county has experienced more than 10 severe floods as a result of high groundwater tables, inadequate urban storm sewer drainage and a lack of capacity of the area’s lakes and rivers to absorb heavy rainfall, according to the study.

“One thing that we can almost count on is that every year we will have at least one flooding event,” said Don Boyd, interim director of emergency preparedness for the DEM.

The report also lists several areas of Whatcom County that are particularly vulnerable to tidal overflow. Those areas are: Sandy Point, Birch Bay, Blaine, Semiahmoo and Point Roberts.

Boyd said that in the event of a tidal overflow – such as the storm of 2001 that caused the erosion of Drayton Harbor Road – emergency response agencies would likely have little difficulty accessing the point. Regardless, he said all residents should begin to plan for a minimum of five days without assistance.

“Even the federal government is starting to lean toward five to seven days minimum,” Boyd said. “Our new emphasis is be prepared to take care of yourself for a longer duration. Have some food, have some water. Talk with your neighbors, organize your community. There’s also a lot of good information on web sites such as fema.gov.”

Boyd also recommended Point Roberts residents who work in other parts of Whatcom County to have a 72-hour kit with them in their cars or at their place of work, in the event they are prevented from returning home. Having an out-of-state contact to call is also helpful, he said.

“Sometimes our local phone systems get overloaded locally but not out of the state,” he said. “Having an out-of-state contact, you can at least call and let someone know you’re okay.”

Boyd said some portions of Point Roberts such as the west side and the east side have higher elevations and would be at lower risk to such events. The south end near the marina, he said, would be more susceptible.

Earthquakes and exposure to hazardous materials also constituted a substantial threat. Approximately 1,000 earthquakes occur in Washington state every year, according to the DEMs web site and more than 500,000 products pose physical or health hazards in Whatcom County. The study found the DEM responds to approximately 50 hazardous material-related (HAZMAT) incidents each year. This is primarily because of a combination of factories and subsequent transportation of such materials on state highways and freeways cris-crossing the county.

“Our risk has increased because of our transportation,” Boyd said. “We have Highway 9, Interstate 5 and the state routes that are all traveled by semi-tractor trailer rigs hauling hazardous waste. We also have a potential associated with industry in Whatcom County. And not necessarily just with large businesses. There’s also a potential for a local business such as the neighborhood hardware store to have a hazardous material incident that could impact the community.”

Boyd said that because HAZMAT incidents generally occur suddenly, it is important to plan well ahead of time. The most commonly-occuring materials are petroleum-based products including acids and caustics such as benzene and ammonia.

The DEM recommends residents determine how close they live or work to freeways, railroads or factories, which may produce or transport toxic materials. It also recommends finding out precise information about where large amounts of extremely hazardous substances are stored and used.

Whatcom County has approximately 50 registered sites containing hazardous materials according to the Washington State Department of Ecology’s hazardous sites list at www.ecy.wa.gov.

The DEM offers additional training for citizens through its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and is available for public speaking to any interested groups on a variety of topics. Interested individuals can call 360/676-668. More information is also available about preparedness and different types of hazards on the Washington State Emergency Management Division’s web site at ww.emd.wa.gov.

Creating the 72-hour kit:

The Whatcom County Emergency Management Division recommends individuals be prepared for a minimum of three to five days following a disaster. This is to give emergency response agencies time to repair communication infrastructure or equipment damage caused by the event. The kit should contain at least the following:
• One gallon of water per person per day.
• Sufficient non-perishable food for three to five days.
And don’t forget a can opener!
• Prescription and non-prescription medications.
• Battery-powered radio to get information during a disaster.
• First aid kit.
• Personal hygiene items such as soap and toothpaste.
• Clothing and bedding.
• Special items such as baby needs.
• Personal entertainment goods such as books or other items.
Also, several companies such as Emergency Essentials and Quake Kare specialize in non-perishable emergency food rations. They can be found online at www.quakekare.com.