Fallen tree limbs strewn across a yard in south Eugene, Ore., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. City of Eugene work crews are responding to hundreds of calls of downed trees and limbs following an ice storm.
Brian Bull / KLCC
The city of Eugene on Thursday rescinded its “snow/ice emergency” that had been in place since Saturday. That means that that parking restrictions on designated snow emergency routes are no longer in effect.
It’s another sign that life is getting back to normal in Eugene after last weekend’s crippling ice storm, which was followed by a hard freeze and another round of freezing rain earlier this week.
Most public transit service resumed Thursday, and the University of Oregon resumed classes, as did the Bethel School District. Many other Lane County districts remained closed Thursday, including Eugene 4J.
The end of the emergency status doesn’t mean city workers are done cleaning up. Crews are still responding to hundreds of requests to remove fallen limbs and branches from rights of way, including bike paths.
“We have several tree crews out every day clearing and, when possible, hauling away debris,” said Chris Girard, parks operations manager and current incident commander with Eugene Public Works in a press release. “Due to the dynamic nature of this ice storm, we expect our response work to be ongoing and long-term.”
The city said people can call 541-682-4800 to report a tree or limb blocking traffic.
Springfield still struggling with widespread damage
The situation in Springfield, however, remained serious Thursday. Much of the city was still without power, and parts of Springfield were under a boil order due to damage at the Springfield Utility Board water facilities.
The city declared a state of emergency on Tuesday evening, in conjunction with similar declarations by Lane County and Gov. Tina Kotek.
“I want to assure you that all necessary measures are being taken to address this situation,” said Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon in a letter to Springfield residents Thursday. “Our top priority is to restore our City so our residents can go back to leading their normal lives.”
The Springfield School District is closed through at least Friday, and the city announced that the Bob Keefer Center is being used as staging location for utility crews called into the area to assist with power restoration efforts.
Countywide impacts
Laurie Trieger, the chair of the Lane County Board of Commissioners, said Thursday afternoon on OPB’s “Think Out Loud” that the entire county has seen “drastic” impacts, especially in rural areas.
“Way up east up the McKenzie River Valley and out to the west toward Florence, more and more downed trees means more roadways blocked, making it harder for first responders and recovery crews to access those communities,” Trieger said.
Trieger said damage to power infrastructure could take weeks or months to repair.
OPB staff contributed to this report.