Be Prepared - Part I

The longtime motto of the Boy Scouts is certainly part of the SHAG vocabulary these days, and for very good reason, which will be the topic of this blog entry.

The news has certainly been full of information about the potential for flooding in the Green River valley this winter. As you may have heard, the Army Corps of Engineers identified weak points in the Howard Hanson dam's interface with the adjacent hillside, causing the potential of greater-than-normal releases of water from the reservoir to relieve pressure on the weak spots. And the Corps has been working on shoring up the weak spots for several months, so remedial action is certainly being taken. The message that we have heard is that there is little likelihood of the dam actually bursting (as you may have seen in disaster movies) but in fact, any flooding may be slowly rising waters as the excess water is released.

However, with some 900 apartment units in Kent and Auburn, this news has caused a certain degree of concern in our resident population. We are very aware of the news and the possibilities, and we are working with our residents and our resident managers in getting information to our communities. Our communities have flood insurance that will cover any reconstruction that may be necessary should the water levels rise this winter. Our insurance company has gone to several communities to inform residents as to where and how to purchase flood insurance for their personal belongings. We continue to study the flood plain maps and monitor information that is released by the Corps so that we can keep up-to-date in our information. And we have a line on a supply of sandbags and sand so that we can.....Be Prepared.

Here is another facet of the motto: we are encouraging our residents to...Be Prepared....themselves by making emergency kits, making a plan as to where they may go should an evacuation become necessary, and staying informed. This is good advice at all times, not just in the eventuality of a predicted flood situation.

More on being prepared in a different facet in Part II, coming soon.

Bill Fenner
Executive Director