Storm damages Oregon coast
Winter wrath felt in other portions of Oregon as well
By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER
Associated Press
Tuesday, December 4, 2007 10:57 AM PST
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| Chris Wilks walks through the flooded U.S. 101 near the Hoquarton Slough Monday, in Tillamook. A powerful Pacific storm battered the Northwest on Monday, blocking roads near the coast with fallen trees and flooding, blacking out thousands of customers and icing up mountain highways. |
PORTLAND — As a vicious storm that tied parts of Oregon in knots moved east, relief agencies concentrated Tuesday on opening highways, helping displaced residents, restoring electricity and generally cleaning up the mess.
While winds died down, flooding and other problems continued.
In many areas roads remained closed by downed trees and landslides, communications were spotty at best and power remained out for thousands of residents after back-to-back storm fronts that were among Oregon’s worst in recent memory roared ashore Sunday and Monday.
Nearly 200 people were known to be in shelters the Red Cross is running or helping run, about 100 of them in two shelters in the Coast Range town of Vernonia. The Oregon National Guard loaded Red Cross supplies Monday night into trucks for delivery there.
Vernonia is virtually cut off to most vehicles because of slides and high water, preventing people from leaving, and much of the town is flooded, Abby Kershaw of Oregon Emergency Management said Monday night.
More than 10 inches of rain have fallen on some areas of the Coast Range since the storms began.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared a state of emergency Monday to allow the state to speed relief efforts by sending aid to counties without their having to ask for it.
‘‘I want to assure everyone that I am monitoring the conditions and will make sure all resources we have available will be offered to the communities that are being severely affected by this storm,’’ Kulongoski said in a statement.
The storm front was headed toward to upper Midwest, bringing another blast of snow expected there on Tuesday.
At least two Oregon deaths were reported including a 90-year-old woman who suffered what Tillamook County medical examiner Dr. Paul Betlinski called ‘‘a weather-related heart attack’’ as she evacuated her home. The driver of a truck swept away by floodwaters in the same area also was reported dead.
In Oregon some things already were coming together.
Most roads connecting the north and central coast to the interior remained closed by flooding and downed trees, but Oregon 6, from Banks to Tillamook, reopened Monday night. Qwest said it had restored 9-1-1 service to the Astoria-Cannon Beach-Seaside areas.
Coastal flood and high wind warnings remained in effect Monday night on the north and central Oregon coast with less-serious flood watches for some rivers continuing into Wednesday.
Water from the rising Wilson River ran down the streets of Tillamook Monday afternoon. Oregon’s main coastal highway, U.S. 101, was closed in several places.
The Wilson River was falling Monday evening, but other rivers were headed for flood stage, including Mary’s River in the Willamette Valley and the south fork of the Coquille River in southwest Oregon.
In some areas swift rivers developed from what normally are just streams.
Interstate-5 between Portland and Seattle was closed in the Chehalis area. Power companies said electricity may not be restored to some areas for three or four days. Portland-based Pacific Power said about 23,000 customers still were without power Monday night.
Crews sent to restore service Sunday night were recalled by managers because of the danger of working with the downed lines in the dark. Pacific Power planned to launch a helicopter Tuesday morning to survey the damage.
More stiff winds were likely Tuesday but nothing like the blasts that exceeded 120 miles mph at times Sunday and Monday. Milder weather was due by Wednesday.
Because of failed communications it was not clear Monday night how many people had been forced from their homes.
Red Cross volunteer Peter Williamson said from a shelter opened Monday at Clatskanie High School on the Columbia River that a trailer park at Sweedetown, an unincorporated area near Astoria, was completely flooded and estimated that 30 to 40 people were evacuated.
He said others are trapped in their homes and cannot be reached because of flooding but that they have food and water.
Shelters opened in Sheridan, St. Helens, Vernonia, the Tillamook County fairgrounds and Camp Rilea, an Oregon National Guard facility at Warrenton.
Many schools and some government offices planned to close or stay closed Tuesday because of high water or power outages.
