With the lowland winds expected to reach around 50mph Wednesday into Thursday, the big concern is power lines coming down in neighborhoods across the Puget Sound region.
Melanie Coon with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) tells us they have dozens of crews on standby.
“We have been monitoring the storm, and we are ready to respond in our service area, which is most of western Washington,” Coon said.
PSE officials say people should have emergency kits ready.
“People should take safety tips seriously... think about what they need for two hours or three days,” Coon said.
She tells us flashlights with fresh batteries, extra warm layers, food and water, and a fully charged phone are essential.
Generators are also a must when severe weather rolls in. If yours is gas-powered, make sure to keep it outside and at least 20ft from any windows, doors, or vents.
The Department of Homeland Security also shared a few tips:
- Stock up on nonperishable food and water before a storm hits.
- Fill a bathtub with water to be able to flush your toilet and extra containers of water to drink, especially if you’re on a well-water pump system.
- Know where your water shut-off valves are.
- If you have an electric garage door, find out how to open it without electricity.
- Develop an alternate plan for medical devices that need electricity to operate or medications that require refrigeration. Find out from your doctor how long medications can be stored outside of refrigeration.
- Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are functioning on every level of your house.
If you do have an outage in your area, go ahead and report it so utility crews know where to go.
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