With the declaration of emergency, the council is asking for:
- Ongoing coordination, technical, and logistical support from the Emergency Management Division of the Washington State Military Department.
- Ongoing coordination support and technical expertise from the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission.
- Additional technical and coordination support as is deemed appropriate and necessary by San Juan County and coordinating Washington State agencies.
Meanwhile, a barge is reportedly on scene where the break occurred with divers and robotics working to assess the extend of the damage to the undersea cable. CenturyLink, which provides telephone and Internet service to the islands says it has started to piggyback on circuits operated by OPALCO, the electric company in the islands.
The loss of communications has affected 911 service, which has apparently been at least partially restored, landline and cell phone calls among the islands and between the islands and the mainland. And, banking and credit card transactions have been disrupted, too, with at least one bank closed because of lack of communication.
Some Internet service is available in a couple of locations, such as the library, which uses OPALCO Internet circuits.