City of Seattle Mike McGinn, Mayor

Emergency Operations Center continues to operate, monitor road crew efforts
Joint Information Center activated at 6 a.m.

The Emergency Operations Center continues to operate, monitoring weather conditions and coordinating the City’s response to the winter storm event. The Joint Information Center activated at 6 a.m.

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has trucks out working to keep major arterial streets clear. Crews are mostly spreading granular salt and monitoring snow routes for accumulating snow. Please consider transportation options for essential travel and avoid driving if possible. The City continues to urge that drivers use caution during their commute. Public transportation information can be found at http://www.KingCounty.gov/Metro and http://www.SoundTransit.org.

SDOT crews will continue their operations through the morning commute and the following hours. Salt and salt-brine were applied overnight in many areas as a preventative measure in anticipation of forecasted freezing temperatures.

For a list of city facilities that will be closed today or with reduced operations/services, please visit http://www.seattle.gov.

A report from the Human Services Department (HSD) on emergency shelters will be released by HSD later this morning.

An embeddable safety and information widget is now available. Residents, web publishers, bloggers and the media can embed the widget online, providing links and current information for their readers. The new widget is available at http://1.usa.gov/xN5pX6.

The City of Seattle recommends that residents:

• Consider options now for any essential travel, staying off the roads if possible.
• Move cars off streets, if possible, to aid with snow removal.
• Check on neighbors, especially the vulnerable.
• Wrap pipes and outdoor faucets to prevent ruptured pipes and possible flooding inside homes.
• Turn faucets to a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing.
• Be careful choosing heating or lighting sources in the event of a power outage. Open flames and unattended candles are dangerous. Do not bring barbecues or gas grills inside. The fumes can be poisonous and deadly. Keep an ample supply of battery-powered flashlights and a battery-operated radio on hand.
• Have coats, hats, gloves and blankets on hand to stay warm during possible power outages.
• Find and clear street storm drains. Snow followed by rain can clog drains and cause flooding.
• Bring pets indoors.
• Only call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.
• The following is a directory of non-emergency helplines: http://www.kingcounty.gov/LinksByZip

SDOT’s Winter Weather page at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/winterweather.htm includes maps of the City’s snow routes and real-time information on road conditions.

For information on public transportation options, please visit King County Metro (http://www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow) and Sound Transit (http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Alerts/Winter-Weather.xml). Riders are encouraged to check bus status online as conditions may change rapidly.

Businesses and residents are reminded to keep their sidewalks clear to help pedestrians walk safely. Pedestrians should be cautious on snow or ice covered surfaces.

For more information about weather safety tips, and to find out about city facility closures, please go to http://www.seattle.gov.

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