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Preparing for the impending melt

by Amy SmartPH Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
| February 26, 2008 11:00 PM

Dear Lincoln County Residents,

What a winter we've had! All this snow has caused a lot of troubles, and they may not be over yet! You don't have to look far to see a big pile of snow, and we all know that snow is going to melt.

I have asked Marc McGill of Lincoln County's Emergency Management Agency what we should do to be prepared for the impending wetness! His first suggestion was swimming lessons, but then he got serious and gave us some concrete ways we can help to make the upcoming season go a little more smoothly.

One thing we can all do is take a look outside our homes to make sure that as the piles of snow melt they have somewhere to go!

Are there berms of snow clogging your storm drains? Anything that is a barrier to the runoff should be cleared out of the way.

Next, you need to find out if your home or business is in the natural course of excess water flow. You may already know this because you've been in your home when there was a lot of runoff before.

Another way to find out is to log on to FEMA's Flood Smart website at www.floodsmart.gov. They have a wealth of information to help you become aware of your particular situation and prepare for potential problems.

Water flow can be diverted with sandbags. During emergency situations sandbags may be allowed to be filled at the various road and highway shops in Lincoln County. This is to be done only when permission is granted. Watch the paper and listen to radio announcements to find out if you can get sand from one of the shops.

Empty sand bags can be purchased at hardware stores and cost approximately $12 for a pack of 24. The sand to fill them may be purchased in 60-pound bags for just under $5.

In the worst case scenario, people may find themselves forced from their homes or isolated inside them. This is the time when you will be glad you have an Emergency Kit or Family Disaster Supplies Kit.

The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (LCEMA) has pamphlets available with the list items in the kit. The main things are water, food, and first aid/survival supplies to last for 72 hours.

The LCEMA office is located in City Hall at 952 E. Spruce St., and you can find brochures and information on the wall in the hallway outside the office. You may also visit the Lincoln County website at www.lincolncountymt.us for more information.

Once you're there go to the county departments drop down menu and click on Emergency Management. Marc McGill has listed some other useful web links there to help you on your road to preparedness.

If you are interested in volunteering to help folks with sandbagging or any other emergency that may come up, please call Amy Smart at 293-4121 or e-mail me at lccddpp@libby.org to be added to a call down list for volunteers.

Obviously I'm no expert in these things, but I thought it would be good to get a little reminder out there that we all have a job to do when it comes to being prepared for the worst. Thank you for doing your part!