Pierce County Emergency Management is joining East Pierce Fire and Rescue (FD 22) and Pierce County Fire District 18, to canvas flood prone areas in the Orting Valley for two Saturdays this month. Fire trucks and rigs carrying firefighters and emergency management staff will be going door-to-door in the areas that traditionally see flooding with information on the upcoming winter storm season.
On Oct. 13, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., two and three-person teams are visiting neighborhoods in Fire District 18 which were hit hard during last winter’s floods in the Orting valley. On Oct. 20, teams will visit homes in the south Sumner and Puyallup River areas during the same time period.
“We want people to understand the dangers of living in a flood prone area, and the best way is to talk with them directly,” says Emergency Management Director Steve Bailey. “By teaming up with the fire districts, we demonstrate to our citizens this is a serious issue. There are things people can do to prepare for, even mitigate, their potential flood damage, including purchasing flood insurance.”
During last years flooding, many of the homes in these areas were affected, some more severely than others. These teams will pass out information on the storm and flood preparedness, the National Flood Insurance Program, as well as information on all-hazards NOAA radios.
For more information on winter storms and how to prepare, visit http://www.piercecountywa.org/prepare .
