El Nino Preparedness: Listen and Learn | Lafayette | Moraga

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Published January 27, 2016

El Nino Preparedness: Listen and Learn

By Cathy Dausman

During the recent rains, this section of trees was flooded near The Bluffs neighborhood in Moraga. Photo Wendy Scheck

When there's something strange - perhaps an El Nino gully-washer in your neighborhood - who ya' gonna call? The answer depends on what you want to know, and where you live in Lamorinda. Always call 911 for emergencies, reminds Moraga-Orinda Fire District Chief Stephen Healy. All three Lamorinda communities use Nixle alerts to notify residents of public safety issues through a smartphone app. Dennis Rein, Lamorinda's Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, suggests using two-way radios for neighbor-to-neighbor communications during emergencies when even telephone service disappears. The radios, known as FRS or FRS/GMRS radios, are inexpensive and readily available both online and in stores. Contra Costa County Community Warning System alerts the public to imminent life and safety threats using sirens, phone, text messaging and email. CWS also maintains a presence on Twitter and Facebook. The National Weather Service provides local radar and satellite imaging and detailed forecasts from the San Francisco Bay Area south to Monterey. Local radio and television stations broadcast weather warnings through their Emergency Alert System. The EAS is a 1997 update of what was formerly known as the Emergency Broadcast System. Although EAS is designed primarily to deliver nationwide warnings, state or local authorities may also use it to deliver area specific emergency information. Staying plugged in to local websites and social media may make it easier for you to weather the storm.

Website contact information:

Nixle: www.nixle.com

County community warning system: http://www.cococws.us/

National Weather Service: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr/

Phone contacts:

Lafayette:

Police: 24-hour dispatch: (925) 284-5010

Fire (Contra Costa County Fire) dispatch: (925) 933-1313 website: www.cccfpd.org

Public Works: (925) 934-3908

Moraga:

Police: office: (925) 376-2515 24-hour dispatch: (925) 284-5010

Fire (Moraga-Orinda Fire District) website: www.mofd.org

911 for emergency; (925) 258-4599 non-emergency

Public Works, business hours: (925) 888-7026 or (925) 888-7029 (shop)

Orinda:

Police, 24-hour dispatch: (925) 646-2441

Fire (Moraga-Orinda Fire District) website: www.mofd.org

911 for emergency; (925) 258-4599 non-emergency

Public Works: (925) 253-4252

Note: At times landline telephones (although not portable wireless phones) continue to work even when the power is out.



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