ENTIAT - Local agencies are hosting a community meeting this month for property
owners in the Mad River watershed area and other interested parties
impacted by this summer's Cougar Creek Fire.
The meeting will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Entiat Fire
Hall, 2200 Entiat Way. Experts on analyzing post-fire conditions will
be on hand to talk about potential flood risks and steps homeowners
can take to be better prepared for any flooding or mud flow events.
"After a wildfire, there is a heightened potential of flooding or
debris flows," said Mike Cushman, director of the Cascadia
Conservation District. "We encourage those residents living in the Mad
River area and other burned areas below natural drainages or steep
slopes to attend this meeting and to ask questions."
Several agencies will have representatives at the event, including
Cascadia Conservation District, Chelan County Emergency Management,
Chelan County Public Works, the Chelan County Flood Control Zone
District, Chelan County Fire District No. 8, the Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NCRS) and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Cascadia Conservation District and NCRS have been working with
homeowners to alert them as to how their properties may be at risk
from debris flows or flooding from the Cougar Creek Fire, which burned
nearly 43,000 acres and later initiated a Burned Area Emergency
Response (BAER) Assessment. A BAER assessment is a U.S. Forest
Service study of the ability of burned soils to hold water after a
wildfire.
Burned soil assessments for the fire found that the fire burned
primarily within the Mad River watershed. Within the watershed, 30
percent of soils burned at a combined high severity and moderate
severity.
Residents in the Mad River watershed, or those living below burned
areas, are also reminded to follow these post-fire tips:
* Be aware of the weather. That means staying on top of large
rain events by following weather reports or a NOAA weather radio. Do
not wait for a warning to evacuate should heavy rain and flooding
develop.
* Have an exit plan in place for if you should need to leave
your property. And include your neighbors in that plan. Talk to your
neighbors about forming phone trees to spread important information,
or emergency check-ins if evacuations are necessary.
* Look into purchasing post-fire flood insurance. Go to
www.floodsmart.gov<http://www.floodsmart.gov> for more information.
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