HWY 410 Landslide/ Nile Community Update-NOV. 9, 2009
NWS Pendleton Forecast for 8 Miles SE Cliffdell, WA
This Afternoon: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 45. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.Tonight: Showers likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. South southwest wind between 3 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West southwest wind around 7 mph. Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Veterans Day: A chance of rain showers. Snow level 3200 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Southwest wind between 3 and 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.Wednesday Night: A chance of snow showers. Snow level 3300 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 40%
Cell Tower
This question is being asked again. The cell tower or COW (cell on wheels) is a temporary solution. US Cellular is doing this to assist the community in its hour of need. There is talk of a permanent towers being installed by 2011 or 2012.
Department of EMS Starts Fund
Local elected officials and others are working hard to find additional funding sources for the Nile residents and gain access to support that they so desperately need. The staff of the Department of EMS is hoping to provide some immediate assistance. An account has been established and is located at the Yakima Valley Credit Union entitled the “Nile Landslide Fund”. Monetary donations to the Nile Landslide Fund will be managed by the Assistant Fire Chief Steve Smith.
In addition, the Department of EMS will be having a “Holiday Yard Sale” inside the Glenwood Square Mall hallways on December 11th & 12th. Donations of gift items, and arts and crafts, that are to be sold during the event, are being accepted now through December 10th at the EMS office.
Homeless
Anyone who declares to be homeless as a result of the landslide can go to the one-stop Housing Resource Center at 107 South 6th Street for assistance. We are prepared to identify Nile residents as a priority as long as we have resources.
WSDOT Update
Due to heavy snow accumulation on the roadway, WSDOT crews temporarily closed Chinook Pass just after 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. WSDOT avalanche forecasters assessed the stability of the hillside on Sunday morning, Nov. 8 and determined the avalanche risk is too great to allow traffic to safely cross Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass.
Since Friday, Nov. 6, Chinook Pass has received more than three feet of snow. More snow is forecast which will only increase the avalanche danger. The SR 410 Chinook Pass closure points are at Morse Creek (five miles east of the summit) and at Crystal Mountain Boulevard (eight miles northwest of the summit). Access to the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort from SR 410 remains open. Additionally, WSDOT and Mount Rainier National Park staff agreed to close SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) for the season. SR 123 is closed within Mount Rainier National Park from the 4,675-foot Cayuse Pass summit at the junction of SR 410 and SR 123 to Steven Canyon Road.
NWS Pendleton Forecast for 8 Miles SE Cliffdell, WA
This Afternoon: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 45. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.Tonight: Showers likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. South southwest wind between 3 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West southwest wind around 7 mph. Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Veterans Day: A chance of rain showers. Snow level 3200 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Southwest wind between 3 and 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.Wednesday Night: A chance of snow showers. Snow level 3300 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 40%
Cell Tower
This question is being asked again. The cell tower or COW (cell on wheels) is a temporary solution. US Cellular is doing this to assist the community in its hour of need. There is talk of a permanent towers being installed by 2011 or 2012.
Department of EMS Starts Fund
Local elected officials and others are working hard to find additional funding sources for the Nile residents and gain access to support that they so desperately need. The staff of the Department of EMS is hoping to provide some immediate assistance. An account has been established and is located at the Yakima Valley Credit Union entitled the “Nile Landslide Fund”. Monetary donations to the Nile Landslide Fund will be managed by the Assistant Fire Chief Steve Smith.
In addition, the Department of EMS will be having a “Holiday Yard Sale” inside the Glenwood Square Mall hallways on December 11th & 12th. Donations of gift items, and arts and crafts, that are to be sold during the event, are being accepted now through December 10th at the EMS office.
Homeless
Anyone who declares to be homeless as a result of the landslide can go to the one-stop Housing Resource Center at 107 South 6th Street for assistance. We are prepared to identify Nile residents as a priority as long as we have resources.
WSDOT Update
Due to heavy snow accumulation on the roadway, WSDOT crews temporarily closed Chinook Pass just after 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. WSDOT avalanche forecasters assessed the stability of the hillside on Sunday morning, Nov. 8 and determined the avalanche risk is too great to allow traffic to safely cross Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass.
Since Friday, Nov. 6, Chinook Pass has received more than three feet of snow. More snow is forecast which will only increase the avalanche danger. The SR 410 Chinook Pass closure points are at Morse Creek (five miles east of the summit) and at Crystal Mountain Boulevard (eight miles northwest of the summit). Access to the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort from SR 410 remains open. Additionally, WSDOT and Mount Rainier National Park staff agreed to close SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) for the season. SR 123 is closed within Mount Rainier National Park from the 4,675-foot Cayuse Pass summit at the junction of SR 410 and SR 123 to Steven Canyon Road.
WSDOT and contractor crews are still working hard seven days a week, 14 hours a day despite cold, rainy, and sometimes snowy conditions in order to open the SR 410 winter-durable temporary detour to traffic by Thanksgiving. Today, crews are graveling the 4,000 foot section of the detour, which is being built across the valley and away from the river and landslide. Drivers will experience delays associated with this work.
On Thursday, Nov. 5, crews finished paving the western two-and-a-half miles of Nile Loop road. Over the weekend our contractor, Selland Construction, finished building a majority of the access trails on the landslide. WSDOT getotech crews will start using the trails today to bring in off-road drill rigs and start drilling into the landslide to collect rock and soil samples. Geotechs will also be installing instruments to monitor movement and water accumulation in the landslide. This information will help us better understand the stability of the landslide and is an important start toward determining the ultimate location for a permanent SR 410.It will take geotechs about three months to finish their drilling operations on the landslide.
Informational Websites that are potentially pertinent to you: There is a lot of information out there. Please take a look and see if any applies to you.
(NEW) Yakima County Public Services Flood Control Zone District Flood Preparedness Information
http://www.yakimacounty.us/SurfaceWater/FloodPreparedness.htm
WSDOT Website with road and slide information
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2009/10/23-WSDOT+begins+building+SR+410+detour.htm
Yakima Valley Office of Emergency Management Blog KR Catlin is updating this daily
http://www.yak-oem.blogspot.com/
NOAA National Weather Forecast for 8 miles east of Cliffdell.
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=46.86394700508323&lon=-120.95947265625&site=pdt&smap=1&marine=1&unit=0&lg=en
NOAA (Weather Service) river gauge at Cliffdell
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?CLFW1
WA State Emergency Management Personal, Family, and Pet Preparedness Information http://www.emd.wa.gov/preparedness/prep_personal_preparedness.shtml
