In December of 2006, a severe windstorm hit Seattle, resulting in the death of 15 people and leaving three million without power.

Floods, windstorms, landslides, snow, and power outages are some of the elements of winter that West Seattle has to watch out and prepare for.

"It's incredible how much rain can fall here in such a short amount of time," said Cornell Amaya, emergency public information coordinator for Seattle.

Harsh winter conditions have happened in the past and could happen again. How can you be prepared for future emergencies?

Seattle's Office of Emergency Management and the regional Take Winter by Storm campaign recommend putting together a family disaster supplies kit. Gather non-perishable food, water, first aid supplies, clothing, a blanket, fire extinguisher, battery operated am/fm radio, flashlight, and extra batteries. A battery powered cell phone charger should also be considered.

Prepare a well-stocked kit for your home and car.

Heavy rain and wind conditions are most likely to cause problems for people in this area.

"It's wise for people to have flood insurance," said Amaya. "It's amazing how many people don't. (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) won't pay for someone to replace their house."

To prepare for heavy rain conditions, "get leaves out of the street and drains. They block water flow. For homeowners, it's mportant to check gutters and downspouts to make sure they are not clogged," urged Mark Howard, strategic advisor for Seattle's Office of Emergency Management.

If you own a generator, make sure it is vented correctly.

"They must vent to the outside," Howard stressed as he recalls almost loosing an entire family to carbon monoxide poisoning in 2006 because their generator was venting into the garage.

"Make sure all family members know how to communicate with each other," said Howard. He recommends having an out of area contact for the family to use as a means of communication. It may be easier to make out of area calls if local phone lines are too busy or damaged.

Landslides can be a major problem during heavy rain.

"There are areas in West Seattle and Ballard that historically have had problems with slides," Howard pointed out.

People living in landslide prone areas are encouraged to attend one of two free landslide awareness meetings. The meetings, which will be held on Nov. 22 and Dec. 6, will cover in depth strategies to protecting yourself and your property.

For more information, visit: http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Emergency/Landslides/default.asp

A detailed emergency supplies list can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/emergency/ or http://www.govlink.org/storm/default.asp. Report any flooded drains to Seattle Public Utilities at 206-386-1800.

Contact Liz Sternberg at liz.sternberg@yahoo.com.