In response to severe flooding, landslides, and other damage from days of heavy rain and mountain snow, King County Executive Dow Constantine signed a Local Proclamation of Emergency Thursday afternoon to help county staff continue to respond quickly to the dangerous weather situation.<\/p>\n
The proclamation allows a waiver from standard procurement procedures to speed up response and turnaround times for departments that need to make repairs or do other work to King County equipment and facilities.<\/p>\n
Staff from Emergency Management, Road Services, Natural Resources and Parks, and other county agencies have been working long shifts to close dangerously flooded roads, clear landslide debris, monitor levees and other flood control facilities, and coordinate with cities and the state as weather conditions deteriorate.<\/p>\n
King County Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center on a 24-hour schedule to provide regional coordination of resources and information. Flood patrol crews are also on duty as they continue visual checks of levees and other flood control structures throughout the region.<\/p>\n
Heavy rain continues to fall in the lowlands, while snow is expected in the upper elevations of eastern King County Friday and Saturday. The severe flooding situation is not expected to ease until well into next week.<\/p>\n