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Whatcom County is trying to better prepare itself against flooding, as memories persist of countywide flooding in November of 2021 causing major damage.

The county’s emergency management team received a one-time grant from the Washington State Commerce Department for almost $4.3 million.

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Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Amy Cloud told ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio the money is being used to buy an alert software system as well as digital road signs to help with evacuation and emergency response trailers and drones to survey where the flood waters are moving. Cloud says these purchases will allow responders to focus on the most urgent needs.

“These materials will enable first responders to focus on what first responders need to do and empower communities to be more effectively engaged in the emergency response,” Cloud said.

The county’s Division of Emergency Management (DEM) purchased emergency response trailers, electronic message boards, sandbagging machines, a radio simulcast system, enhanced alert and evacuation notification software, and all-weather drones.

STATE GRANT IMPROVES COMMUNITY’S EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITY
SHERIFF’S OFFICE USES FUNDS FOR RESPONSE TRAILERS, COMMUNICATION TOOLS, DRONES, MORE

Details here:

— Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (@whatcomsheriff)

“The emergency equipment and response trailers will be deployed to predetermined locations and jurisdictions throughout the county that have recently been impacted by unprecedented flooding events,” Undersheriff Doug Chadwick, who oversees DEM, .

The grant is a direct response to flooding across the county in late 2021, which caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure, including the failure of the Nooksack River levee near Ferndale.

“The flood in 2021 identified new needs, which we are addressing with this commerce grant,” Cloud said to ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio. “Plus, we are always training.”

Last winter, flooding caused issues in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. The community has since upgraded its drainage systems to prevent another flood.