Boots on the Ground: WCC deploys 37 to assist flood response efforts, 35 more on standby

WCC crew readies sandbag berm near Pend Oreille River at Newport.

Today, Friday, May 18, we will have 37 Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members deployed to Eastern Washington to help communities in Okanogan and Pend Oreille counties respond to the most severe flooding the region has seen in more than 40 years.

Late last week, rain and high daytime temperatures caused significant snowpack melt, pushing many rivers out of their banks. Many local governments directly affected by flooding requested emergency assistance from our WCC AmeriCorps members and staff.

Our WCC crews are deployed to the following communities to help fill, stack and place sandbags to keep floodwaters out of people’s homes:

• 16 members and staff in Newport in Pend Oreille County.
• 18 members and staff in Okanogan in Okanogan County and Cusick in Pend Oreille County.
• Five members and staff in Tonasket in Okanogan County.



WCC members and staff filling sandbags

 in Cusick.

In addition, we have six more members and staff actively supporting a Department of Natural Resources base camp in Okanogan where more than 225 DNR, regional fire district, and other interagency staff are staying during the current flood response. Our responsibilities at the camp include organizing and loading supplies like pumps and hoses, loading trucks, and supporting facilities.

Should we receive additional assistance requests, we have another 35 members and staff on standby ready to deploy to help with flood response efforts.

On Friday, May 11, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency to make resources available as flooding and high-risk conditions continue. A total of 20 Eastern Washington counties face potential flooding.

When local disasters such as flooding occur, local and tribal government partners and state officials often request on-the-ground assistance from our WCC.

The National Weather Service is predicting more flooding as hot weather drives more snowmelt to various river systems – especially the Okanogan, Similkameen, Kettle, and Pend Oreille rivers.

The WCC provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. Our 300 members and 53 field supervisors across the state restore critical habitat, build trails, and protect the state’s natural, historic and environmental resources. They also respond to out-of-state and local disasters.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. We are currently recruiting for three-month AmeriCorps members positions. Recruitment for the 2018-19 year will begin in July! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more and apply online today.

Boots on the Ground: WCC responds to severe flooding in Eastern Washington

WCC members and volunteers filling sandbags at 5 a.m. in Okanogan

This past weekend, we deployed several Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crews to help the towns of Okanogan, Tonasket, and Cusick after rain, high daytime temperatures and significant snowpack melt caused severe flooding in Okanogan, Pend Oreille, and Ferry counties.

 

Our WCC AmeriCorps members and crew supervisors spent about 16 hours Saturday, May 12, assisting community efforts to fill, stack and place sandbags to keep floodwaters out of people’s homes.

On Friday, May 11, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency to make resources available as flooding and high-risk conditions continue. A total of 20 Eastern Washington counties face potential flooding.

When local disasters such as flooding occur, local and tribal government partners and state officials often request on-the-ground assistance from our WCC.

We currently have two WCC crews deployed to Tonasket and three to Okanogan in Okanogan County. Another crew is serving in the town of Cusick in Pend Oreille County.

A seventh WCC crew is being deployed to the Okanogan County Fairgrounds in Okanogan to set up and manage a camp base for our response partners at the state Department of Natural Resources.

  

WCC members getting sandbags ready in Tonasket.

On Monday afternoon, water levels remained lower than the flooding levels experienced on Friday and Saturday.

However, the National Weather Service is predicting a second flood crest later this week that could be higher than the first as hot weather drives more snowmelt to different river systems in Eastern Washington – especially the Okanogan, Similkameen, Kettle, and Pend Oreille rivers.

The WCC provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. Our 300 members and 53 field supervisors across the state restore critical habitat, build trails, and protect the state’s natural, historic and environmental resources. They also respond to out-of-state and local disasters.

WCC disaster response program

 

Our WCC crews have responded to local floods, wildfires, oil spills and landslides and have also been deployed to provide disaster relief and recovery assistance for communities affected by floods, hurricanes and tornadoes around the nation. Four WCC crews are designated disaster response crews but any crew has the potential to be deployed.


Sandbags readied in Tonasket.

• Members and staff are trained to safely and effectively:
• Clean up homes, roads and structures
• Install emergency repairs such as roof tarps
• Manage volunteers and donations
• Remove hazard trees and debris
• Set up and operate emergency shelters

 Learn more about WCC

 

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. We are currently recruiting for three-month AmeriCorps members positions. Recruitment for the 2018-19 year will begin in July! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more and apply online today.

 

Dust Wars

Somewhere, in a galaxy far, far away, there might be people who thrive in the midst of dust. That's not us. Dust storms here on earth can be dangerously unhealthy. Dust storms don’t just happen in the middle of Tattoine or in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl. In our state, dust is more of an issue in Eastern Washington, but can be a problem anywhere given the right (or wrong) conditions.

Sand People, Star Wars: A New Hope.

While agricultural lands and activities have been the primary source for dust storms in Washington, we’re seeing fewer per year, thanks to better farming practices.

Dust storms have become less common in Washington since the mid-1990s when farmers started using more soil erosion prevention techniques. Those farming techniques have made a difference: In the early ’90s, Kennewick had as many as seven dust storms in just one year! Compare that to the past six years, when the area only had seven dust storms in total. That means cleaner air and healthier people.

Judge by size, do you?

Strong winds and dry conditions cause large amounts of soil to be blown into the air. When that happens, it’s hard to see, making driving dangerous. Plus, all of those large and small particles sting your eyes and sandblast your body. The tiny particles — known as PM10 and PM2.5 — can get deep in your lungs, causing irritation and worsening existing asthma, allergies, and heart disease. 

Dust storm in Eastern Washington, August 2005.

Keep dirt on the ground

Ecology and our clean air partners monitor the air for dust and other pollutants. In areas where windblown dust is a problem, we work with U.S. Department of Agriculture program partners to minimize soil erosion. We’re piloting a grant project in Benton, Franklin, and Klickitat counties where dust blown from farm land causes Kennewick’s air quality to be unhealthy.

The focus will be on farms in the Conservation Reserve Program — a land conservation program that pays farmers to take land out of production and maintain plants that anchor soil. As these conservation contracts expire this fall and land goes back into use for farming, the grants will support farmers’ use of farming methods that keep dirt on the ground and out of the air.

Be prepared

When there's a dust storm, pull over if you're driving and stay in your car. Don’t exercise outside. Cover your nose and mouth. Get inside if you can and close windows, doors, and vents. Sign up for Dust Storm Alerts from the National Weather Service to find out when high winds are forecast.

Raise a lightsaber

Dust may not sound as dangerous as other types of air pollution, but it can be just as harmful. The best way to prevent dust is to continue encouraging farmers’ efforts to find new ways and use tested methods to prevent soil erosion. Ecology and our clean air partners have made a lot of progress over the past few decades. We’re committed to protecting your health.

By Miriam Duerr | Air Quality