Salem-News.com Emergency articles

Injured Salem Man Rescued From 2-Story Playhouse Roof

The man suffered a dislocated hip and needed assistance.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Marion County Fire District responded to a call for a rescue Sunday evening on 42nd Ave NE.

A man had been roofing a 2-story playhouse when he suffered a dislocated hip and was unable to climb down from the roof.

Due to the location of the playhouse on the property, rescue personnel gained access to the patient using the field belonging to The Peoples Church on Lancaster Drive.

President Obama Signs Illinois, Oregon and Washington Major Disaster Declarations‏

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the states and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - The President today declared major disasters exist in the States of Illinois, Oregon and Washington.

Federal aid is order to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the areas struck by severe winter storms.

Coast Guard Pilots Recount Difficult Flood Rescue (VIDEO)

The Coast Guard video shows the crew retrieving two different evacuees.

(ASTORIA, Ore.) - In this video released by the Coast Guard, a Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Oregon helicopter crew hoists two people stranded at their home by floods in Morton, Washington, Tuesday, January 7th, 2009.

The Morton, Wash. residents were stranded due to the ongoing Pacific Northwest floods. The interviews with the Coast Guard Air Station Astoria pilots who performed the rescue, are a vivid account of their tiring and dangerous effort to retrieve some, but unfortunately all of the people they set out to help.

The Coast Guard video, produced by Chief Petty Officer Russ Tippets, shows the crew retrieving two different evacuees.

Cowlitz County Flood Update

The City of Kalama is having problems with their water system. Sixty homes are without water and many are under a boil water order.

(LONGVIEW, Wash.) - The Cowlitz County Incident Command Post that was county-wide has been closed. Officials there say command has been transferred back to each individual agency and jurisdiction.

The Cowlitz County Joint Information Center will be open on Saturday, January 10th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Storm recovery/Cowlitz County is preparing to have a web site and a call center available next week where you can report damages caused by the January Rainstorm 2009.

Cowlitz County Declares Emergency‏

Those areas with livestock, that are prone to flooding, need to consider moving their animals now rather than wait.

(KELSO, Wash.) - Cowlitz County has declared an emergency as a result of the heavy rain and flooding. The National Weather Service forecast for flooding has increased from minor to major severity as the Cowlitz River continues to rise.

The Cowlitz River at Castle Rock is expected to reach the flood stage of 48 feet around 4:00 PM today and crest at 55.3 feet at 4:00 AM Thursday.

Impacts of flooding above 54 feet will cause widespread flooding of residential and business areas. The Cowlitz River at Kelso is already at flood stage and is expected to crest at 24.2 feet prior to 7:00 AM Thursday morning.

Are There a Hundred More Coal Ash Spill Sites Across U.S.?

15 states appear to have three or more Tennessee-like unlined “Surface Impoundment” sites For toxic coal-fired power plant waste.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Could another major coal disaster happen at one of the many Tennessee-like power plant coal pollution dumping sites across the United States?

How much toxic arsenic, lead and other heavy metals that endanger drinking water are being dumped into those unlined “surface impoundment” sites each year?

How did federal regulation of coal pollution break down to allow these threats to exist … and what needs to happen if the public and environment are to be protected against future Tennessee-like disasters, as well as the “slow-motion” leaching of toxic metals into drinking water, rivers and streams?

Evacuation Order Lifted for Many Homes Near Marylhurst Area Landslide in Lake Oswego (PHOTO UPDATE)

At this time, the Fire Marshal's evacuation order has been lifted for all properties except two.

(LAKE OSWEGO, Ore.) - City of Lake Oswego Fire personnel responded to a large landslide just after 1:00 AM this morning, which originated from slopes above Green Bluff Drive in the Marylhurst area.

Stephan Lashbrook, the city's Community Development Director, says a total of 20 homes along Woodhurst Place and Brookhurst Drive, and one home on Green Bluff Drive, were evacuated as a result of the landslide.

"28 people were evacuated and 5 transported to hospitals. The City's Adult Community Center was opened to accommodate those families in need of shelter," Lashbrook said.

Columbia County Prepares Declaration of Emergency Over Severe Weather (VIDEO)

Snow levels will range from 500 to 1000 feet through Friday night.

(VERNONIA, Ore.) - Today, Columbia County and the City of Vernonia prepared declarations of emergency contingent upon resource depletion, due to the severe winter storm involving heavy snow, ice and heavy rainfall, which has resulted in the imminent possibility of flooding and severely taxing county resources.

Columbia County Commissioner's approved the wording of the declaration, which is contingent upon worsening weather conditions that could deplete the County's resources in response to the flood warning issued by the National Weather Service for the Upper Nehalem River.

The National Weather Service Report predicted that the river levels would peak above flood state at around 6:00 AM on Friday.

Icy Roads Blamed for Multiple Wrecks in Forest Grove

Fire and police officials in Oregon are asking drivers to slow down and avoid becoming a statistic.

(FOREST GROVE, Ore.) - Firefighters from Forest Grove Fire & Rescue responded to multiple cars wrecks on Wednesday due to icy road conditions, according to Fire Inspector Matt Johnston.

The first two of the four accidents occurred in the four o'clock hour Wednesday morning. One was a head-on accident and the other was a rollover, both accidents were non-injury.

Johnston says the third and fourth accidents occurred on NW Wilson River Highway just miles apart.

One Year Later

Oregonians remember and learn from all the good that was done last year and Oregon Emergency Management is encouraging people to prepare in case something like the Great Coastal Gale happens again.

(SALEM, Ore.) - It has been called "the Great Coastal Gale of 2007". Just two days in December of last year that many of us will remember for a long time.

A series of storms from December 1st through 3rd affected Oregon, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia, but those two days, December 2nd and 3rd, produced an extreme long-duration wind event with hurricane-force wind gusts of up to 129 mph in some areas of Oregon.

The storm also brought heavy rains and produced widespread record flooding throughout the region.
Transportation, power and communications were knocked out. Highways were closed.