Latest estimates of potential evacuees are in the 30,000-plus range, for three weeks or more.
County and City officials – with the notable exception of Enumclaw’s – are heroically working to mitigate possible disaster.
One huge gap in the planning, though, is US, the public. We’re being left out of the plans.
We “high country” communities (Covington, rural Kent, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, Enumclaw, Buckley, Bonney Lake, Sumner Heights, Edgewood, Milton, Federal Way) are positioned to be of immense help, front line responders to our maybe – waterlogged low-lying neighbors who may need refuge. (Do we really believe that they’re going to make it from the flooded Valley to Qwest Field?)
Apparently if regular citizens are going to help, we need to organize ourselves – neighborhoods, churches, grange halls, fire stations.
Wouldn’t it be a great start to have a Help Registry at every courthouse and on a website where those of us who are high and dry can offer what’s available to us (i.e. – I have a chainsaw/ EMT training/ room in my storage shed, etc… – I can house a family of four/ one senior person/ two cats, three horses – whatever!)?
Right now water is available, pure and virtually free. One tiny but significant step we can all take NOW is to save water in clean containers, to share with those whose polluted wells and septics may be unusable for an extended period of time. We can painlessly save millions of gallons of water!
Much of what may be done for our vulnerable neighbors we must do ourselves. Planning and preparation cannot happen once events are upon us.
One wonderful information source for help/in citizen organizing area by area is Ruth Peterson who led efforts during and for months after recent catastrophic floods in Chehalis. Ruth will give her terrific presentation to groups who request her to come. She gives heads-up info on what to expect after the flood. Email rainydaze@yahoo.com
Whether – and the extent to which – we prepare and respond – or not – is a choice each of us must make. And then get going.
And, lest we forget, folks, we’re sitting at the foot of a live volcano. Major earthquakes overdue. It’s no stretch to consider that we may be the ones needing assistance one day.
Jeannie Bystrom
Enumclaw
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