Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 24, 2024)
January 24, 2024 Page 5 Dedication Helped Portland Weather a Storm Public servants cleared roads and trees More than a week of wind, snow and ice hit the Portland area hard to start 2024. Thou- sands of people lost power, and many are dealing with stressful, severe property damage. Trag- ically, at least a dozen people in our community died – losses that will stay with us forever. The thaw is here, and the City of Portland wants to thank the thousands of intrepid workers and volunteers who braved difficult winter conditions to provide aid, make repairs and maintain crucial infrastructure. As our community recovers, the work continues. For more than a week, Port- land Bureau of Transportation crews worked around the clock to treat and clear thoroughfares so first responders and public transit could serve the communi- ty. Now crews are shifting to the recovery phase: monitoring road closures, assisting with debris cleanup after trees are removed from the roadway, and more. If you are biking, watch for sand and gravel on snow routes - a necessity for keeping emer- gency routes navigable for first responders during winter weath- er. Gravel cleanup will com- mence after emergency opera- tions conclude. As snow and ice melt, Port- landers will start seeing potholes, which form when water freezes and expands under the pavement, compromising its strength. Once PBOT moves out of the recov- ery phase, crews will start filling them. Help the bureau get a head start by identifying and reporting potholes at 503-823-1700, pdx- roads@portlandoregon.gov, or pdxreporter.org. Every day, the Portland Water Bureau keeps water flowing from our water sources to your tap, maintaining reservoirs, pumps and 2,000+ miles of water pipes and monitoring water quality. From Jan. 13 to 20, their team repaired 20 main breaks and responded to more than 4,100 calls, dispatch- ing staff to assist with hundreds of emergency water shutoffs. Over 600 reports of downed trees and large branches in one week kept Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry crews busy. The team worked around the clock to clear major Water Bureau employee searches for the source of a broken water line (Photo courtesy of City of roads and ensure neighborhood Portland) access. In the coming weeks, their focus will shift to storm damage in and around Port- More than a week of wind, snow and land’s parks. ice hit the Portland area hard to start 2024. Throughout the winter weath- Thousands of people lost power, and many er, Environmental Services are dealing with stressful, severe property responded to multiple emer- damage. Tragically, at least a dozen people gencies, made repairs and min- in our community died – losses that will imized the impact of power stay with us forever. outages and other disruptions The thaw is here, and the City of Port- on essential wastewater and land wants to thank the thousands of in- storm water services. After a trepid workers and volunteers who braved truck struck a power pole and difficult winter conditions to provide aid, knocked out power to the City’s make repairs and maintain crucial infra- main wastewater treatment plant structure. As our community recovers, the for several hours, crews oper- work continues. ated backup systems and found For more than a week, Portland Bureau solutions to keep core systems of Transportation crews worked around To report security concerns while riding, intact. They also made emergen- the clock to treat and clear thoroughfares Continued on Page 9 cy repairs to a frozen intake pipe -238-7433 text or call so 503 first responders and (RIDE public ). transit could at the City’s largest wastewater pump station, preventing sew- We’ll respond 24/7. age from overflowing into the Willamette River. The customer service team at 311 fielded more than 700 calls on the busiest day of the storm, about triple their usual volume – sharing information about shelter locations and transportation, power outag- es, water and parking enforce- ment. The most popular topic was falling trees, which gen- erated nearly 1,000 calls the week of Jan. 13-20. Thousands of community members received vital infor- mation during the storm, thanks to a partnership among the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, Community Orga- nizations Active in Disasters (a national model) and communi- ty-based organizations who rep- resent and serve multicultural and multilingual communities. Topics included carbon monox- ide poisoning, avoiding frozen pipes, accessing state benefits during a power outage, winter weather shelter locations, calls for volunteers to staff shelters and more. Property owners dealing with storm damage turned to the Bu- reau of Development Services for timely repair information. Road conditions during the Because Every Moment Matters Our commitment to safety never stops. trimet.org Continued on Page 5
