As parts of the Northwest continue to experience brutal weather this week, three people died after a power line fell on a car in Portland on Wednesday morning, officials said.
A combination of winter precipitation and extreme temperatures caused power outages across the state, Oregon's governor declared a state of emergency for at least one county, and forecasters were downplaying that the tragedy was far from over.
In one fatal episode, Portland Fire and Rescue spokesman Rick Graves said a tree branch knocked over a power line on an SUV in Portland. The spokeswoman said the three people, two adults and a teenager, were believed to have been electrocuted when they got out of the vehicle. A child in the vehicle survived and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, he added.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 62,000 customers were without power in Oregon, mostly in the western part of the state, according to PowerOutage.us, which aggregates data from utilities across the country. Most of the outages were reported in Lane County, where Governor Tina Codec issued a state of emergency on Tuesday. Earlier Wednesday, PowerOutage.us reported nearly 90,000 people were without power in the state.
“Lane County has experienced extensive damage as a result of the winter storm conditions we are seeing across Oregon,” Ms. Codek said in a statement. According to KGW8, a local news agency. The announcement will help the district access federal resources.
In its own emergency notice, the Lane County Board of County Commissioners Cited serious damage – Widespread power outages, road closures, downed trees and power lines – caused by snow storms. Prolonged below-freezing temperatures pose heat risks for residents and have created challenging travel conditions for emergency medical workers, commissioners said.
Many surrounding districts, Including Washington CountyLocal emergency notices have also been issued.
There are no signs of improvement in the immediate forecast across the Pacific Northwest. According to the National Weather Service.
More than three million people in northwestern Oregon were under a blizzard warning Wednesday, while large swaths of the Northwest from Washington to eastern Montana and southern Colorado were under a blizzard. Winter Storm Warning.
Weather service forecasters were tracking a system that could bring significant freezing rain to the Portland area Wednesday. Heavy mountain snow was expected to spread across the Interior Northwest Wednesday night into Thursday. The Cascades and northern Rockies may see moderate to major winter storm effects.
More rain is expected on Thursday and Friday.
Much of the US and Canada has experienced a cold and dangerous start to the year due to inclement weather. Wind chill readings dropped significantly below zero in some cities over the holiday weekend. In the northwest, strong winds toppled trees, crushed houses, cars and other property. The storm has been blamed for at least nine deaths — downed trees, fires or hypothermia — in the Portland area. According to The Oregonian.
