After the Sammamish Storm: What Should We Do Differently Next Time?

I know we're all just about ready to get back to normal, but after an event such as last week's storms and subsequent widespread power outages, it can be useful to take a few moments to reflect on what we did well as individuals and as a community--and what we can do better the next time an emergency arises.

For example, local meteorologists are reflecting on why they didn't better predict the serious ice storm that caused many of the power problems.

For myself, when I lost power a second night and decided to tough it out at home to stay off the icy roads, I figured I'd rely on a firelog for heat. What I didn't realize was that storing it out on a damp deck for a long time would make it pretty hard to light--and my matches were running out. Luckily, it worked, but I'll stock up on a few more of those essentials and work harder to keep them dry in the future. 

I also wish I'd thought to post information about food safety for Sammamish Patch readers at the first signs of a large outage. It seemed obvious once an astute reader asked a question, but by then it had already been about 48 hours from the first outages. I'll be making some lists of what info is important to cover right away for future use.

I thought it was great how readers used Facebook and Twitter to share info via the Patch platform, and I came to appreciate how helpful cellphones can be to help people stay connected to important information during an emergency. I'll never let my cell run down overnight again.

Another reader, Heather Murphy-Raines, posed a timely question via the Sammamish Neighborhood Gallery. What do you do when snow piles high on your outdoor trampoline?

And now, I hope you'll take this opportunity to reflect on your storm response also, and share what you learned during our most recent severe weather event.

What did your family or business do that might be useful for others to know in the future?

What did you fail to do or wish you had done to be better prepared?

What did you learn from neighbors and friends that helped you?

Was there anything you thought was exceptional or lacking in public agency responses to the emergency?

Here's to being prepared, and here's hoping we won't have to put new plans into action anytime too soon!