National Guard sent to aid North Bend socked in by snow
Feb 13, 2019, 5:17 PM
(Washington National Guard, Twitter)
(Washington National Guard, Twitter)
Yesterday, a WSDOT convoy was sent to rescue over 250 vehicles trapped in Snoqualmie Pass. 20 miles west, the city of North Bend remains buried under 2 to 3 feet of snow, and now the National Guard is being mobilized to help.
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“This snowstorm is unprecedented in terms of duration and magnitude, and we just don’t allocate enough resources to contend with a huge snowstorm of this size,” North Bend’s interim City Administrator Mark Rigos told KTTH’s Jason Rantz.
Rigos noted that measurements in portions of North Bend were up around 30 inches in some areas, all being handled by what few resources the small town of just over 6,000 residents has on-hand.
“The city of North Bend is not equipped for a storm of this magnitude,” said Rigos. While the snow has been raging, North Bend has been equipped with “a couple backhoes, a couple snow plows, and a pick-up truck.”
Reinforcements are on the way now, though, with both Eastside Fire and the National Guard sending resources to assist.
Three snow plows from WSDOT heading to North Bend to assist with clearing the roads after an unprecedented amount of snow. Stay off the roads if at all possible to give them room to work. pic.twitter.com/sw6ReeyISF
— Eastside Fire (@EastsideFire) February 13, 2019
National Guardsmen are currently coordinating with Eastside Fire first responders to assist “as needed.” Eastside Fire serves Issaquah, Carnation, and North Bend.
In North Bend, a crew of around 10 to 12 maintenance technicians have been working 12 hours or more a day to do what they can to clear snow.
The city also declared a state of emergency, allowing it to collect reimbursement for private contractors, snow plows, salt and sand for roads, and more.
Meanwhile, the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass finally opened in the eastbound direction today, with metered traffic and a 35 mile per hour speed limit. Westbound remains closed overnight due to avalanche danger and will be reassessed in the morning.
Anyone in need of help getting fuel, food, or shelter can call an emergency hotline at 206-296-3830
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