Oregon still assessing damage as snow and coldest temperatures ease

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Rain falling on the Portland metro area Wednesday is starting to melt away the ice and bring services slowly back online.

In the Willamette Valley though, it’s going to take longer to recover from a series of winter storms over the past five days.

Related: Ongoing icy conditions cause closure of Portland-area schools for another day Thursday

In Lane County, downed trees continue to block major roads and affect power lines. More than 4,000 customers in Cottage Grove have been without power since Saturday, according to Pacific Power. Statewide, the utility is reporting about 15,000 customers still without power.

Elsewhere in the state, Portland General Electric reported about 970 outages Wednesday morning, affecting approximately 15,400 customers.

The company said it has restored power to more than 155,000 customers since Saturday, and has repaired 13 of 14 damaged substations, as well as nearly 175 transformers.

“About 1,700 personnel, including PGE line crews, mutual assistance crews and PGE support staff, are continuing to work on restoration efforts today,” a spokesperson told OPB in a statement.

Eleven deaths so far have been linked to the storm, with Portland Fire & Rescue reporting Wednesday that three people died from electrocution and a baby was uninjured when a downed power line landed on a car in Northeast Portland.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management hasn’t been able to assess the extent of the damage in Lane County yet — one of the harder hit areas of the Willamette Valley — but has heard reports that half of the trees in the area around Cottage Grove were damaged or downed by the windy and snowy storm that battered private and public lands late last week. The damage appears worse than the 2019 ice storm that took out numerous trees in the valley, according to the agency.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek issued a state disaster declaration for Lane County on Tuesday evening. OEM director Erin McMahon said current priorities there are restoring communications infrastructure, keeping the emergency communications systems for the area running using back-up systems, restoring power and transportation, and keeping the mass shelter operating for people who need a warm place.

Next, the state will do a damage assessment to see if a federal disaster declaration is warranted in Lane County.

McMahon has been involved in helping people endure the brutal conditions, spending two nights volunteering in one of Portland’s emergency shelters. She gave emergency planners — and Portland residents — high marks for staying off the roads and preparing seriously for the storm.

“The Portland metro area has done a great job, learning the lessons from last year’s storm, making sure they were leaning forward and getting the communications out. I also think people are diligent and listening and responding,” she said.

As the thaw continues, McMahon is asking people to stay off the roads as much as possible, to make way for trucks that are clearing hazards — and to avoid landing in the hospital.

“It doesn’t take much for people to slip and fall. Our emergency centers are already very busy, just dealing with cases of hypothermia and other medical emergencies,” she said.

While temperatures have risen above freezing in the Portland metro area, pipes are still at risk. Pipes that have frozen are more likely to leak or burst as temperatures thaw.

Portland Water Bureau crews reported more than 1,250 calls for service between Saturday and midday Tuesday. The city of Vancouver, Washington, meanwhile, has closed city offices due to water issues and a water main leak had closed some city streets.

The Portland Water Bureau recommended people take these steps to protect their pipes:

• Leave cabinets open to keep pipes warm.
• Let indoor faucets drip. Moving water is less likely to freeze.
• Keep outdoor faucets covered.
• Use a hair dryer or heat lamp to safely thaw frozen pipes.

And if a pipe is at risk of bursting in a home, residents should be aware of where their water shut off valves are located.