Islanders have stayed safe during storm; only one minor car accident
Published 5:14 pm Thursday, January 19, 2012
It’s been an exciting time for local kids, most of whom got nearly a week off of school.
It is not quite so thrilling for the adults, who have had a hard time driving to work on icy, snowy roads.
“Overall this hasn’t been a major winter storm event,” said Brendan Cowan, the director of San Juan County Department of Emergency Management. “It’s definitely had some impacts, including school closures and some cars off the road, but cold will only last for a couple of days, so far power outages have been isolated, and the amount of snow was more of an inconvenience than a major hazard.”
The winter storm in December 2008 was the last major stretch of inclement weather the San Juans have experienced.
Over at the Orcas Fire Department, the pagers have been “quiet as a church mouse,” said division chief Patrick Shepler.
The only snow-related incident was a no-injury rollover on Enchanted Forest Rd. on Jan. 16. The driver says she swerved to avoid kids who were in the area.
“One of the biggest risks we have during these winter storms is people slipping and falling,” Shepler said. “We also get medical calls from people over-exerting themselves doing storm clean-up. Other concerns are car wrecks and people using generators and non-vented heaters during power outages. It puts people at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. Also: snow heavy trees, which are called ‘widow makers.’”
To read about the winter of 1949-50, which Cowan calls a “true winter in the Pacific Northwest,” check out the blog here.
For more information on winter preparedness, go to www.sanjuandem.net or call 370-7612.
