Governor Gregoire Asks Washingtonians for Caution, Preparedness for Potential Outages

For Immediate Release: December 14, 2006

OLYMPIA � Governor Chris Gregoire today asked all Washingtonians to be extremely cautious while they are on the roads Thursday afternoon and Friday and to prepare for several days of potential power outages.

�We know all too well the potential danger posed by extreme weather. I hope all Washingtonians will take steps to prepare themselves and their families and to be extremely cautious if they need to be on the roads this afternoon and tomorrow. If you can stay home, please do,� said Governor Gregoire. �Our state is still working to recover from earlier fall storms and we can all take steps to minimize the impact this storm will have on our lives.�

Governor Gregoire also urged citizens to prepare for potential power outages and school and road closures by:

• Checking and replenishing your three-day emergency supplies of food, water, batteries, flashlights and other necessities;
  
• Reviewing how to protect yourself and family whether indoors, outside of buildings, or on the road;
  
• Staying informed and paying attention to news coverage of the weather;
  
• Staying home if you do not absolutely need to be somewhere; and
  
• If you must be on the road, checking for closures on your normal driving routes before you leave.

Governor Gregoire�s cabinet agencies offer tips on how to prepare yourself, your family and your home for a storm:

Department of Agriculture
The state veterinarian's office reminds animal owners that sheltering animals can prevent hypothermia due to exposure to high winds. Owners should have 72 hours of animal feed on hand. Generators should be fully fueled to be available to supply power for water pumps and dairy milking operations.

Department of Health
The state health department reminds people to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by never using generators indoors in an enclosed location. Keep them outdoors and well away from windows, doors and air intakes. It is also a good idea to make sure your home has a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector.

Department of Transportation
Drivers should stay informed and pay attention to local television and radio weather coverage. They may also call the 511 driver information line for information about closed roads or check the WSDOT highway update web page at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/weather/updates/. You may want to check your normal routes and consider taking an alternate route or staying home during the storm. Treat all dark intersections as four-way stops and treat all downed power lines as live, energized lines.

Utilities and Transportation Commission
The best time to put together or restock an outage kit is well in advance of a potential storm. Before the power goes out, prepare an emergency kit that contains a flashlight, extra batteries, a wind-up or battery-powered alarm clock, a manual can opener, a battery-powered radio or television and a 72-hour supply of ready-to-eat food and water. You should also have extra blankets, paper plates and utensils, matches and something to help pass the time, such as books, board games or playing cards. If you have an electric garage door opener, be sure you know how to manually operate the door.

###