Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Renton could be faced with up 10 feet of water this winter if the Howard Hanson Dam gives out. While commercials advising residents to buy insurance abound, Green River is making plans for various possibilities.
GRCC has been identified as one of the possible facilities to assist as a shelter to a portion of the 4,000 valley residents that could be affected. All together at its high end a flood could displace some 27,000 people from their homes.
Local churches, high schools and stores are just a few of the places that can serve as shelters for Green River, the gym is the most likely building.
"It's a bit complicated right now because there isn't a clear understanding of the size of the impact the flood will cause… The count [isn't] finalizing information as to where the shelters are actually going to be." According to Emergency Manager, Fred Creek.
Green River's biggest threats are the sewer system and power.
"We have apartments that need to have the necessary elements to live for those few days." Emergency manager Frederick Creek said.
As a result of this, Creek is planning on inserting 15 or 20 port potties just to be prepared.
"We are connecting with Puget Sound energy, which provides all our energy and with the City of Auburn as well. We just want to have clear communication for any updates or changes," commented Creek.
Besides the school shutting down and the sewer and power system being damaged the Auburn campus doesn't have to worry about being submerged in water.
The Kent Campus is likely to have waters as high as six feet and they are taking procedures to prepare. The emergency team at GRCC is very aware of this and is seeing into how it's going to not only shelter those affected but how it well go about providing classes for those Kent campus attendees if Kent is un-functional.
"Well, the school [won't] be in session so it wouldn't affect us if it was used as a shelter," Green River student, Kyle Huchinson, said.
Creek mentioned a three step preparation guideline they have developed. "Our first priority is to protect everyone's life and we will do this by evacuating all from the valley region and shutting down the school," said Creek.
The second step is regarding property; as weather changes begin the plan is to remove all important property and valuables from campus. Following through with procedures and plans is the final key to the preparedness guidelines.
"I don't want to be [an] alarmist, but we all have to be very prepared for anything: get insurance, protect your valuable belongings and most importantly, protect your life as well as your loved ones," Creek advised students.
Green River's next action will be determined throughout the timing of weather alerts and government updates. Whether the Howard Hanson will go out or not will grow more apparent as the rainy season gets worse. At least for the moment, Green River is prepared to beat Green River with or without a dam failure.
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Anyway, the chance of the river flooding this year or even for the next 10 years is very unlikely after the recent repairs.