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6 tips on staying safe during severe weather, other emergencies in Washington state

Stories by Tacoma News Tribune journalists, with AI summarization

Practical strategies to prepare for emergencies in Washington state emphasize readiness, family safety, and property protection. Winterization tips like insulating pipes and sealing drafts help mitigate risks from freezing temperatures and potential power outages. Generator safety can prevent dangers like carbon monoxide poisoning. Emergency kits with essentials such as navigation tools, first-aid supplies, and emergency shelters play a critical role in hikes and wilderness trips, as rescuers have noted in recent mountain rescue cases.

Wildfire preparedness, including creating defensible space and evacuation planning, remains a priority as climate change increases fire risks in both rural and urban areas. Community collaboration and proactive planning provide the foundation for resilience during natural disasters.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

As temperatures warm, the snow dumped on the Tri-Cities overnight begins to melt, forming icicles along this house’s drip edges and eaves.

NO. 1: AS FREEZING TEMPERATURES SWEEP THROUGH WA, HERE ARE TIPS TO WINTERIZE YOUR HOME

Getting your home ready for freezing winter weather doesn’t have to cost much. Here are tips from experts to winterize your home. | Published January 11, 2024 | Read Full Story by Rosemary Montalvo

Tsunami hazard zones in Tacoma are highlighted in yellow on the Washington Geologic Survey’s tsunami design zone map. By Courtesy

NO. 2: PARTS OF TACOMA, OLYMPIA SUSCEPTIBLE TO TSUNAMIS. NEW REGULATIONS AIM TO MAKE THEM SAFER

An interactive online map shows where the building codes are in effect. | Published March 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Craig Sailor

Boats and the Narrows Bridge are pictured from the Narrows Brewing Company on Sept. 16, 2024. A magnitude-9.0 earthquake would result in a tsunami that would reach the Puget Sound.

NO. 3: HOW WORRIED SHOULD TACOMA BE ABOUT THE ‘BIG ONE,’ THE LOOMING M-9.0 CASCADIA EARTHQUAKE?

It’s not a matter of whether the disaster will come, but when. | Published September 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Simone Carter

Downed power lines will be one of many headaches facing Tacoma's new public utilities director, writes columnist Bill Virgin.

NO. 4: LINES ARE DOWN ACROSS WESTERN WA, HERE’S WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER ONE, GENERATOR SAFETY

Tuesday’s bomb cyclone caused power lines to go down, which left over hundreds of thousands of people without electricity across western Washington. | Published November 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Rosemary Montalvo

Dan Wehmeier told The News Tribune Jan. 15, 2025 he’s clearing land as part of a 77-acre wildfire fuel reduction project on the Key Peninsula through his forestry management company, Wehmeier LLC. Brush close to the ground can ignite and lead to a wildfire, he told The News Tribune.

NO. 5: COULD PIERCE COUNTY QUICKLY EVACUATE DURING A WILDFIRE? SOME WOULD HAVE TO ESCAPE BY WATER

A wildfire protection plan that’s in the works should include information about areas of Pierce County with heightened wildfire risk. | Published January 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by jpark@thenewstribune.comJulia Park

Only rubble remains of this home in the Sumner Viewpoint neighborhood on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. It was one of three homes destroyed by the historic 800-acre Sumner Grade Fire which occurred on Labor Day week.

NO. 6: CAN THE LA WILDFIRES HAPPEN IN WESTERN WA? THE ANSWER IS COMPLICATED AND SOBERING

The fires that have ravaged California have happened here but on a smaller scale. | Published January 17, 2025 | Read Full Story by Craig Sailor

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.