**Please see the attached media release for full information and links to referenced resources.
Lincoln County and other counties around the state are transitioning from summer wildfire to our winter weather preparedness season. With this transition comes our annual partnership with local public works/road departments, Oregon Department of Transportation, utility service providers and the National Weather Service (NWS)-Portland office.
At the beginning of each winter season these agencies along with public safety response partners promote winter preparedness within their agencies and for local communities.
Winter Weather Outlook:
The National Weather Service provided a winter weather outlook briefing for public safety and local officials the morning of October 22nd.
This briefing was specifically coordinated for the Lincoln County communities and was followed by a tabletop exercise for the attendees. The exercise was modeled after the snow event that occurred primarily in Lane County, February 2019. The winter weather outlook briefing is available for the public to review and can be found on the Lincoln County website – Emergency Management at: https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/emergencymanagement/page/whats-happening-now
Lincoln County Information Guide – Flooding (Updated Nov. 2019):
The flooding guide is specifically developed for Lincoln County Communities by the Emergency Management Division of the Sheriff’s Office and provides the A-Z of information needed for before, during and after a flooding event occurs. The guide is intended as a one-stop shop for educating yourself on insurance opportunities, flood plain mapping, how to access current river level information, and how to protect yourself and your property.
One of the most important aspects of protection is reviewing your insurance policies to ensure you are adequately covered; the National Flood Insurance Program recently underwent a website upgrade and provides very valuable information to help you decide if you should have a policy in place.
Flood insurance is not just for those property owners who live in the flood plain; it can protect many home and business owners from other events such as a tsunami or other water saturation events. Standard homeowners’ insurance may not cover these events. The following is a list of the sections in the flooding guide.
Lincoln County Self-Serve Public Sandbagging Station:
Sandbagging is one of the most versatile of flood fighting tools and is a simple, effective way to prevent or reduce flood water damage. Although sandbags do not guarantee a watertight seal, they are a proven deterrent to costly water damage. Sandbags have been used to:
- Prevent overtopping of levees
- Direct a river's current flow to specific areas
- Redirect storm water runoff to storm drains or redirect overflowing storm runoff drains from personal property
- Reduce seepage at closure structures
Location and Hours: Mid-October through mid-April, 510 NE Harney St, Newport, access to sand is 24/7
Community members may pick up to 10 sandbags per person, per season. Those in need of more than 10 sandbags at a time are encouraged to reach out to local hardware stores and purchase them in advance. Community members are reminded protection of private property is the property owners’ responsibility and begins prior to storm events. If you have a water run off hazard or your home or structure is in flood path then you should assess your property in advance, educate yourself regarding sandbag quantities, sandbag placement techniques and the help you might need to accomplish the task. Properly placed, sandbags will redirect water and minor debris flow away from property improvements. Waiting until the water is at your door step is too late; there won’t be enough time or resources to effectively mitigate the water or debris run off.
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Respectfully submitted,
Virginia "Jenny" Demaris
Emergency Manager
Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Emergency Management
225 W. Olive St.
Newport, Oregon 97365
vdemaris@co.lincoln.or.us
(541) 265-4199 Office