Looks like our blog posting hit some snags in the new year, so here’s a quick post while we hit the reset button!

A recent mailing from the Portland Water Bureau addressed issues related to emergency preparedness, a topic we’ll probably address more than once this year. New to us is the Public Alerts service, available for several cities and counties in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.

A visit to the website shows past notifications, but you can sign up to receive future alerts as calls to your landline or cell phone, text messages, or e-mail messages (or whatever combination you specify). Once you submit the form, you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail from the Public Alerts system.

The site is also a good one-stop-shop for information about roads, transit, hospitals, public safety, utilities, and more in the Portland metro area. Check it out.