Spokane: City Prepared for Forecasted Winds
Washingtoner/10194925

Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 509.625.6740

Strong winds are forecasted to begin around 6 p.m. and last through the night, with the highest gusts anticipated after midnight. City of Spokane first responders, as well as Street and Parks crews, are prepared to respond to calls for assistance and reports of damage.

Public safety officials are reminding citizens to use extreme caution if they must go out during the high winds. Parks officials are asking citizens to stay out of parks during the strong winds. The high winds also can impact those experiencing homelessness. Shelter space is available, and transportation to the Trent Resource and Assistance Center is available for those at Camp Hope.

"Responding to address safety concerns will be the City's top priority during the storm. We are anticipating downed trees, broken branches and power outages," says Mayor Nadine Woodward.

The City and Spokane Transit Authority have coordinated with Empire Health Foundation, Jewels Helping Hands, and the Washington State Department of Transportation to provide voluntary emergency evacuation transportation from Camp Home to the Trent Resource and Assistance Center at 6:45 pm tonight before the peak of the wind gusts is forecast to hit the area. STA will have two coaches onsite to transport individuals to TRAC. State and local outreach partners have worked with campers to advise them of the anticipated weather conditions and to provide additional transportation options.

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Citizens can call 3-1-1 to report trees blocking roadways. For trees entangled with power lines, please call Avista at 1-800-227-9187. (Answer "yes" when asked if you want to report an urgent issue.) If downed power lines pose an emergency, call 9-1-1. Don't approach downed power lines. Intersections may be without power. Motorists should treat them as a four-way stop.

After the winds subside, City crews will prioritize opening blocked arterials. After that, crews will work to open blocked residential streets and then will move to general debris removal from the streets. Parks Operations teams will evaluate and manage tree damage in City parks. Sidewalks may also be blocked by fallen trees and limbs; please use caution.

After the storm, citizens can take tree debris from their yards to the Waste to Energy facility, 2900 S. Geiger Blvd. Residents who need assistance with clearing tree debris from private property are encouraged to refer to the list of licensed arborists at spokanecity.org.

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