Latest news with #WashingtonEmergencyManagementDivision
New York Post
4 days ago
- General
- New York Post
250 million bees escape after semi-truck overturns in Washington State: ‘Don't go anywhere near them'
'Bee' on alert. Roughly 250 million bees escaped into the wild when a commercial semi-truck rolled over in Washington state, prompting officials to warn locals to stay away from the area. The truck was hauling 70,000 pounds of honey bee hives when it overturned in a rural part of Whatcom County, just north of Seattle near the Canadian border, around 4 a.m. Friday, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. 6 Millions of bees broke free after a semi-truck overturned in Washington state. KOMO News The bees broke free around 9 a.m. when the hives 'came off' the truck. Residents were urged to avoid the area and keep their distance by at least 200 yards. 'No one could have predicted 250 MILLION BEES would be loose on a road,' Washington Emergency Management Division wrote on X Friday morning. 'So, stay away. Just…. Don't go anywhere near them.' The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office shared on Facebook that emergency crews called in over two dozen beekeepers to help contain the situation. 'We're literally grabbing a bee box and then grabbing the frames that contain the honey, the bees and the brood, putting them back in the box and restacking them on pallets to hopefully have some survival rate to work with here,' local beekeeper Derek Condit told KOMO News as swarms of bees surrounded him. 6 Over two dozen local beekeepers responded to the shocking situation. KOMO News 6 Bees escaped from their hives hours after the truck overturned. Whatcom County Sheriff's Office / Facebook 'When they said 200 million bees, they meant it,' Matt Klein, the Deputy Director of Emergency Management for the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office, told KOMO News. Klein was stung a dozen times and still had stingers 'attached to his ears' late Friday night, the Washington Emergency Management Division revealed on X. 'But they're honeybees, so the sting isn't as severe as some other bees, so, so far, everybody is fine,' Klein told KOMO News earlier in the day. 6 The incident happened near the Canadian border in a rural part of Washington state. KOMO News 6 Locals were urged to avoid the area and the road was shut down. Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Journalists covering the unexpected incident were even targeted and stung by bees on the scene. KOMO reporter Denise Whitaker revealed that she was stung by one of the many 'aggressive' insects, even though she was approximately 300 yards from the truck. 'At this time, on-scene work is done,' the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook on Friday night. 'Hive boxes from the overturned truck were recovered, restored and returned to use. By morning, most bees should have returned to their hives and those responsible for their delivery will be in charge.' 6 Beekeepers suspect most bees will return to their hives by Saturday morning. KOMO News 'These bees are going to swarm in the local areas and start new hives, luckily, so there will be re-pollination in this area, but there will be great losses as well,' Condit told KOMO News. The sheriff's office added, 'There is no general health risk to the public.' The truck was transporting the bees to South Datoka after they pollinated a local blueberry field, the Cascadia Daily News reported. Whatcom County is home to Bee City USA, based in Bellingham, which helps protect and grow bee populations while playing a 'crucial' role in the county's berry industry. However, the county was also the first place a murder hornet nest was discovered in the United States in 2020.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will there be a tornado in western Washington? NWS warns of severe storm threats
A strong storm is expected to reach western Washington in the afternoon of March 26 and bring with it the possibility of widespread and severe thunderstorms, the National Weather Service said. Showers and thunderstorms were expected to start over western Oregon around 1 p.m. and then move into western Washington, arriving in the Seattle metropolitan area between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Among the potential threats are large hail up to 2 inches in diameter, damaging wind up to 58 miles per hour, and "to a lesser extent" brief tornadoes, the NWS said. Here is more on Washington state's tornado history and what to do during a tornado: There is a "slight risk" of severe thunderstorms from the Seattle and Tacoma areas south to Olympia and the northern Oregon border in the late afternoon and into the evening of March 26, the NWS said in an X post. Severe thunderstorms can produce tornadoes, and the NWS said it was "concerned" about the possibility of an "isolated" tornado. Isolated tornadoes are tornadoes that are not part of an outbreak of tornadoes, according to a 2018 paper posted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The last reported tornado in Washington state occurred on Oct. 28, 2024, in Longview, according to NOAA. It had an EF0 rating, the weakest on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with three-second gusts from 65 to 85 miles per hour. Tornadoes in Washington state are relatively rare. According to the Washington Emergency Management Division, the state averages two to three per year, mainly occurring in April, May, and June. From 1954 through 2024, 138 tornadoes were reported in Washington, according to NOAA's storm events database. The last tornado in the Seattle area occurred on Dec. 18, 2018, in Port Orchard, according to NOAA. It had a rating of EF-2, with gusts from 111 to 135 miles per hour. More than 300 homes and businesses were damaged, according to NOAA. Trees fell on houses, and building roofs were ripped off, the Kitsap Sun reported at the time. People should avoid buildings with large free-span roofs and stay away from exterior walls while finding the lowest level, smallest room, or central part of a building or home, according to the Washington Emergency Management Division. Here is more tornado guidance from the agency's website: DUCK Keep in the shelter until the storm has passed Down to the lowest level Under something sturdy Cover your head IN HOMES OR SMALL BUILDINGS Go to the basement – if available – or to an interior room on the lowest floor, such as a closet or bathroom. Upper floors are unsafe. If there is no time to descend, go to a closet, a small room with strong walls, or an inside hallway. Wrap yourself in overcoats or blankets to protect yourself from flying debris. IN SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, FACTORIES OR SHOPPING CENTERS Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums and warehouses. Crouch down and cover your head. Don't take shelter in halls that open to the south or the west. Centrally-located stairwells are good shelter. IN HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS Go to interior small rooms or halls. Stay away from exterior walls or areas containing glass. IN CARS OR MOBILE HOMES Abandon them immediately! Most deaths occur in cars and mobile homes. If you are in either of those locations, leave them and go to a substantial structure or designated tornado shelter. IF NO SUITABLE STRUCTURE IS NEARBY Lie flat in the nearest ditch or depression and use your hands to cover your head. Be alert for flash floods. This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Risk of severe thunderstorms, tornado in western Washington, NWS says
