Living here
Emergency alerts and outages
Sign up for local alerts, understand Hanford sirens and evacuation levels, and find the outage map and phone line for your power, gas and water.
Life-threatening emergency? Call 911. This page is a guide; it is not monitored.
Sign up for alerts
Benton and Franklin counties send emergency warnings (evacuations, shelter-in-place, hazardous spills, Hanford events) through CodeRED by phone, text and email. The system moved to a new platform, so even if you signed up before, register again.
- Benton County CodeRED sign-up (Benton County Emergency Services, 509-628-2600)
- Franklin County Emergency Management sign-up
- Weather warnings from the National Weather Service appear on our homepage automatically.
Hanford sirens
- Sirens cover parts of Benton and Franklin counties and the Columbia River near the Hanford Site. A public address message plays before and after the tone.
- Wavering tone: take cover (shelter in place).
- Steady tone: evacuate.
- On the Columbia or Yakima River: a siren of three minutes or longer means leave the river and tune to KONA 105.3 FM or 610 AM.
- Sirens and alerts are tested on announced dates; tests are always labeled as tests.
Wildfire evacuation levels
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Level 1: Ready | No immediate threat. Watch for updates and get ready to leave. |
| Level 2: Set | Significant danger. Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, or leave now if you need extra time. |
| Level 3: Go | Leave immediately. |
Current orders are posted by Benton County Emergency Services and Franklin County Emergency Management, and sent through CodeRED.
Power, gas and water outages
| Utility | Serves | Report or check an outage |
|---|---|---|
| Benton PUD | Kennewick, Finley, Benton City, Prosser and most of Benton County | Outage map · 888-582-2176 |
| City of Richland Energy Services | Richland | Outage map · 509-943-4428 |
| Franklin PUD | Pasco and Franklin County | Outage map · 509-542-5300 |
| Benton REA | Much of West Richland and rural Benton County | Outage map · 509-786-2913 |
| Cascade Natural Gas | Natural gas across the Tri-Cities | Smell gas? Leave first, then call 888-522-1130 from outside. |
| City water and sewer | Your city | Call your city’s utilities or public works line; after hours, use the non-emergency number 509-628-0333. |
Digging? Call 811 at least two business days before you dig. Utilities mark buried lines for free.
Road closures right now
- Low impact
SR 240 milepost 28 near Richland: Thursday Oct. 8 and Friday Oct. 9 from 6 pm to 4 am there will be alternating flagger controlled traffic for pavement repair.
- Low impact
SR 224 milepost 6 to 7 Ruppert Rd intersection, there will be alternating pilot car controlled traffic, with a 24/7 11-ft width restriction. The north side of Grosscup Avenue is closed with a detour available. A new round-a-bout is under construction.
- Medium impact
Both directions milepost 8 to 28, Richland. Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily there will be flagger or pilot vehicle controlled alternating traffic for chip seal work. Drivers should expect backups and delays through the work zone.
Official WSDOT wording, refreshed every 15 minutes. City streets aren’t included; check your city’s notices too. WSDOT travel map
Official sources: Benton County Emergency Services · Hanford: in an emergency · Benton Franklin Health District: alerts · Cascade Natural Gas