WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) -Imagine the wonderful smell of roasting turkey or pie fresh out of the oven. You’re packing up goodies to share with your folks or take to Friendsgiving.  As you step outside, it’s a bit gusty and rain is falling.

How far do you get before you find the “water over roadway” or “road closed” signs? Now the food is cooling and you’re going to be late, as you look for a new route that will get you were you need to go. If only you’d known.

Fortunately, there are several ways to get up-to-date, trusted information on road closures, weather conditions and more – without having to search multiple sources.

Start by bookmarking these sites:

If conditions deteriorate, if we’re heading into potential flooding, ice storms or blizzard conditions, you don’t want to be stranded. By signing up for alerts and warnings (under “Emergency Alerts”) you’ll get notice of when to “Get Ready” (pack a bag with essentials) and then “Get Set” (find your evacuation route, notify your people), and—if necessary— “Go Now!”

Travelling outside Whatcom County for the holidays?  Know before you go. What are the passes like?  Are there crashes on I-5? What’s the weather like where you’re headed? These sites will be great resources for you:

  • Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shares live-feed cameras and lists crashes as well as ferry and freeway delays
  • National Weather Service (NWS) in Seattle has forecasts for every zip code and you can sign up for weather alerts like heavy rain, snow, gale winds
  • Build (and bring!) a basic disaster kit

Seem like a lot of work? Well, a few tasks on the front end take minutes compared to time spent stuck in traffic or waiting for the next ferry. And that’s time you could spend enjoying some leftover yams or tofurky.

Amy Cloud is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management.  She was born and raised locally, leaving for Whitman College and work in Seattle, Knoxville and Washington, D.C. She returned to work as Supervising News Producer and reporter for KVOS-TV’s NewsView before switching to communications for WWU, PeaceHealth and the City of Bellingham. She also co-chairs the Community PIO Group and is a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues.