From PSE Website. "Take Winter by Storm" Campaign Asks Citizens to Adopt Local Storm Drains SEATTLE(October 11, 2010) - It's Seattle's worst storm drain: sitting at the bottom of a natural depression on a busy, tree-lined Beacon Hill arterial, the drain has been a nuisance to residents for years. When leaves drop during autumn storms, the drain clogs; and 23 times since 2006, City crews have been called out to clear debris and floodwater from the site. Now, as part of the Take Winter By Storm campaign, neighborhood volunteers are helping Seattle's worst drain clean up its act. Residents who volunteer to adopt one of Seattle's 80,000 street drains (by visitingwww.takewinterbystorm.org) receive FREE cleanup supplies, including rakes, bags, gloves, shovels, brooms and dustpans. Although all of Seattle's drains have been cleaned each year by Oct. 1, all it takes is one big storm to fill the drains with leaves and cause localized flooding throughout the City. Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) simply does not have enough crews to respond to all of the emergency service calls it receives during a big autumn storm. Now in its fourth year, SPU's Adopt-a-Drain program is addressing that problem. With more than 1,000 volunteers (individuals, schools, businesses, organizations and churches participate) the program is making a dramatic difference in reducing urban flooding. Take Winter By Storm is a regional campaign aimed at helping citizens and businesses get prepared before bad weather strikes. Two surveys produced by Survey USA show 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 althoughmore people are aware of the need to prepare for winter storms, many still have done nothing to get ready. The focal point of the campaign is to raise awareness about the need to prepare for extreme weather that can endanger people's lives and property. The Take Winter By Storm website,www.takewinterbystorm.org, is 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 website, 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 Take Winter By Storm 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, which is a collaborative effort by the City of Seattle, King County, Puget Sound Energy and State Farm, 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. 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, visitwww.takewinterbystorm.org.
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