Emergency

Tsunami Warning Sirens Phased Out In Coastal Oregon County

Tom Banse — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:24:49 +0000

Most of the tsunami warning sirens in one Oregon coastal county will go silent in the New Year. Communities up and down the West Coast are phasing in more modern forms of emergency alerts. Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

Citizens Will Wait Less, Use Texting, With Spokane 911 Changes

Paige Browning — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 14:34:06 +0000

Spokane County’s 911 staff will soon grow, in order to speed up answering time. Paige Browning reports six call receivers will join the call center in the new year.

More Good News Than Bad From Kittitas Wildfire Frontlines Today

Courtney Flatt — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:02:14 +0000

Fire bosses at the scene of a destructive wildfire in central Washington gave an upbeat progress report at a community briefing in Cle Elum Friday. Firefighters targeted full containment of the nearly 23,000 acre blaze by Sunday. Reporter Courtney Flatt is on the scene. She says the mood at the community briefing was more curious than anything else.

Cle Elum, Wash., Continues To Battle Wildfire

Anna King — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:51:16 +0000

A large wildfire in the remote mountains of Central Washington state has burned 22 thousand acres . The Northwest News Network’s Anna King reports the fire has destroyed at least 60 structures from Cle Elum.

Nearly 800 firefighters have been battling the wind-whipped fire for several days. 18-year-old Tyler Oversby stared as giant plumes of smoke crept closer to his hometown.

Health Officials Say Take Steps to Stay Cool in Hot Weather

Ruby de Luna — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 12:49:07 +0000

Health officials are urging people to take steps to stay cool during the hot weather. Forecasters have issued a heat advisory for the next few days. Temperatures are expected to peak in the low-90s in Western Washington. Ruby de Luna reports Young children, elderly people, and those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable.

One Housing Sector That’s Booming: Survival Realty

Jessica Robinson — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 12:56:24 +0000

The housing market in the Northwest is finally showing signs of recovery. But there’s one sector of real estate that never let up during the economic downturn. Real estate agents who sell what’s known as “survival realty” are experiencing boom times. As Jessica Robinson reports, a remote corner of the Northwest has become a hotspot for home buyers wanting to ride out disaster – natural or otherwise.

Tweeting Through Natural Disaster

Tom Banse — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:05:32 +0000

The next time a big wildfire erupts or an earthquake unleashes near you, Twitter, Google and Facebook might be useful places to turn. And not just you. Disaster response agencies are plunging into social media. They can develop better situational awareness by seeking out your online gripes and observations. Digital platforms also provide an avenue to give more frequent official updates and correct misinformation during a catastrophe. Correspondent Tom Banse reports.

Western US Faces Air Tanker Shortage

Scott Graf — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 13:11:25 +0000

As wildfires continue to burn in the West, the U-S Forest Service is going to battle this summer with fewer air tankers. The number of planes that drop retardant on fires has shrunk significantly over the last 12 years. From Boise, Scott Graf has more now on what led to the shortage, and what’s being done to fix it.

Pacific NW Tsunami Buoys Out Of Service

Tom Banse — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:19:08 +0000

One quarter (12 of 39) of U.S.-operated tsunami warning buoys in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are out of service. That includes the two tsunami detection buoys directly off the Pacific Northwest coast. But as Correspondent Tom Banse reports, the warning system has some redundancy built in.

Climate Change: How Prepared is the Pacific Northwest?

Courtney Flatt — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:48:25 +0000

An environmental group has rated each state’s strategy for dealing with climate change. Problems can range from droughts to rising sea levels. As correspondent Courtney Flatt reports, two of the Pacific Northwest states are well prepared.