A Joint Statement from Mayor Nice and Deputy Mayor Rosenbaum on Wind Storm Recovery

As the City's response to the November 19, 2024 wind storm continues, Mayor Nice and Deputy Mayor Rosenbaum released a joint statement to the community: 

Mercer Island Residents, 

As our community continues to recover from the recent storm - one of the most challenging since our last major windstorm in 2006 - we want to acknowledge the hardship many of you have faced. 

We share your frustration and recognize the difficulty in communicating when our normal channels of phone and internet are not working. We are committed to working with our communications providers to collaborate on solutions moving forward.  

Under the leadership of City Manager Jessi Bon, we stood up and are currently operating the Mercer Island Community and Event Center (MICEC) as a warming center with WiFi and charging zones. The center remains open from 7:00am to 8:00pm. Yesterday, staff and volunteers conducted welfare checks and went door-to-door to provide information for neighborhoods still without power or connectivity. City Manager Bon’s timely issuance of an Emergency Declaration allowed us to quickly organize these resources to support our community. 

Thank you to everyone who has shown resilience during this emergency, including the Puget Sound Energy crews, out-of-state linemen, local contractors, and telecommunications teams who have worked tirelessly to restore our services. Your efforts are deeply appreciated. We are also grateful to our CERT volunteers, city officials, the Mercer Island Police Department, the Public Works Department, and Eastside Fire and Rescue for their swift action and dedication to our safety and well-being. 

The storm’s effects continue to linger in some of our neighborhoods. Your safety and well-being remain our top priority. If you need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to the City’s Customer Service Team (206-275-7600, 8:30am to 5:00pm on Saturday). Please call 911 for emergencies. Our teams are here for you and are committed to ensuring no one is left behind as we work to restore normalcy.  

This event highlights the critical challenges of localized and regional emergencies. In the coming months, our emergency management team will be working to strengthen our community’s response capabilities through additional community training programs. Our goal is to build a more resilient Mercer Island that can effectively respond to any challenge we may face. 

Thank you, once again, for your patience, support, and understanding during the aftermath of the storm. Together, we will emerge from this challenge stronger and more resilient as a community. 

- Salim Nice, Mayor
- Dave Rosenbaum, Deputy Mayor