State report says officials were ignorant of carbon monoxide danger

The state's emergency-management and public-health officials were largely unaware that sickness and death from carbon monoxide poisoning are common after destructive windstorms.

According to a draft report on the December 2006 windstorm by the Washington State Military Department, so many people were sickened after burning charcoal or running generators indoors that a major Seattle hospital noted afterward that "carbon monoxide poisoning is predictable during periods of prolonged power outage." This trend was "largely unknown within the emergency management community," the report said.

The thick report expands on a summary that was released earlier this week to Gov. Christine Gregoire.

A total of 15 people died during the week of Dec. 10, the largest disaster-related loss of life in the state since the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The storm cut power to some 3 million people.

More than 300 patients were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and eight died, most trying to keep warm or cook food. Gregoire requested a comprehensive review of how the state, local governments, hospitals and others reacted to and prepared for the storm.

The report indicated the state should expand its public-education efforts, understand what various jurisdictions were charged with doing during disasters, and improve coordination between government agencies as well as the private sector.

Especially hard hit was telephone service, which was interrupted for about 307,000 people. Cellular carriers reported as many as two-thirds of their cell sites were down after the storm.

Most troublesome was the impact on 911 service. In King County, more than 17,000 emergency calls were made during the 18 hours after the storm. About 8 percent of these callers received a busy signal.

The report noted that Qwest, the Enhanced 911 service provider for much of the state, took preventative steps to mitigate technical glitches.

"If Qwest had not anticipated the problem and taken these proactive steps, many of the largest Public Safety Answering Points in Western Washington could have lost all 911 service."

While aiding elderly people and other vulnerable groups during disasters remained a concern, the report highlighted some bright spots.

The Lewis, Mason, Thurston Area Agency on Aging successfully contacted about 250 of its clients, either in person or by telephone, and Pierce County's Human Services Crisis Outreach Agency handled about 49 calls for assistance.

"The 2006 windstorm re-emphasized the axiom that all disasters are local," according to the report's conclusion.

While the report did not recommend sweeping reforms, it did note that people do need to be encouraged to actually take steps to survive without aid for 72 hours.

"Future actions requires transitioning from a single-minded focus on emergency-response programs to the creation of a true culture of preparedness."