Lousy weather coming our way

Time to batten down the hatches:

Seattle could be hit with a wild windstorm Thursday, but how severe the winds will be depends on where the storm goes on Wednesday, a National Weather Service spokesman said.

A high wind watch was issued for Thursday afternoon for the north and central coast of Washington, where winds are expected to be between 30 and 40 mph, with gusts to 60 mph.

"If the storm goes north toward Vancouver Island, we may not see anything out of the ordinary in Seattle," National Weather Service spokesman Johnny Berg said Tuesday evening, when the storm was about 1,300 miles off the Washington coast. "If it goes over the Olympics, we could see some good winds here in Seattle."

Governor Christine Gregoire's office has issued a statement encouraging western Washingtonians to get ready:

I urge everyone to take a moment today, before any fall or winter storms, to check their emergency supplies of food, water and batteries.

We learned from last year’s storm season that these storms can produce road closures, power outages, downed trees and flooding. We all should take steps to be prepared for these situations and lessen their impact on our families.

And, please, remember the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning from charcoal grills and generators. These devices must remain outside of homes or deadly carbon monoxide can build up and kill building occupants.”

Preparedness material is available in multiple languages on the state Department of Health web site.

Emergency preparedness information is available on the Washington Red Cross web site and the Washington Emergency Management Division web site.

You can also check out Pacific Northwest Portal's special Winter Preparedness section for links, tips, and instant forecasts.