Editor’s note: the following is a press release issued Tuesday afternoon by East Pierce Fire and Rescue. See separate story for damage done to Creator Lutheran Church.
There was some property damage, but no injuries following a windstorm that blasted the area Monday night. The severe winds knocked down trees and power lines, keeping firefighters very busy. By midnight Monday, East Pierce Fire and Rescue firefighters had responded to nearly 60 calls. Forty-four of the emergency calls came in between 8 p.m. and midnight. Typical call volume for a 24-hour period is 20.
The west and north end of Lake Tapps appeared to bear the brunt of the storm. Trees and power lines blocked a number of roads, including West Tapps Drive East. However, the firefighters were able to take care of it right away, opening the road to traffic.
According to East Pierce Assistant Chief Ed Goodlet, a few of the trees fell onto homes or buildings. “The worst appears to be a church that was damaged when a tree crushed the roof and ruptured a sprinkler line. There was significant water damage to the building,” said Goodlet.
Because of the high call volume, the fire district activated the high-incident system and called in off-duty firefighters for extra staffing. “We had the district well covered,” Goodlet said. By 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, the emergency calls began to subside.
The Edgewood and Milton fire stations were hampered by a downed transmitter that wiped out radio communications with the dispatchers at FireComm. Firefighters used their personal cell phones to received dispatches and respond to incidents. Fortunately, that area was not particularly hard hit by the storm.
The Pierce County Emergency Operations Center is collecting damage information from homeowners and business owners affected by last night’s windstorm. Residents and business owners in Pierce County that suffered damage should call the Department of Emergency Management at 1-866-798- 6363 (toll free).
Callers should have the following information available:
Name and address of affected property
Type of insurance (homeowners)
A description of damage, even if uninsured
A personal estimate of uninsured losses
Estimates of the fair market value of the damaged home or business. It is not necessary at this point for property owners to have a contractor’s estimate.
The findings from this assessment will be used by the Governor to request a possible disaster declaration and federal disaster assistance from the President. This process could take up to couple of weeks or more. Federal disaster assistance, if and when it becomes available, only covers uninsured losses.
Among the immediate steps that individuals and families impacted by the windstorm should take, include:
Call your insurance agent to check on your coverage.
Keep detailed records of all clean-up and repair costs, including photographs.
• When the time comes to make repairs, be aware of local permit requirements and do a thorough check of potential contractors.
