PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An overnight windstorm downed trees, cut power to thousands and destroyed private property in areas of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington on Thursday.
The Portland metro area saw gusts up to 48 mph between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The coast, meanwhile, was hit with 63 mph gusts.
The winds caused nearly 30,000 customers to lose power in the Portland metro area by Thursday morning. As of Thursday afternoon, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power are still working to restore power to thousands of customers.
In Vancouver, a downed tree smashed an SUV near the intersection of 120th and 121st Avenue early Thursday morning. A tree also took out a gazebo in Sandy early Thursday morning, causing extensive damage to a property on Jerger Street.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is advising the public to avoid downed power lines, check on neighbors and loved ones and drive safely during hazardous storms.
“[Because] much of Clackamas County is rural, we often see a lot of downed trees during windstorms,” the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office told KOIN. “Unfortunately, this can cause powerlines to come down as well. We urge folks to stay away from any downed power lines and assume they are live. Do not attempt to move or touch them and report them immediately to 911.”
In Portland, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is also dealing with a slide that occurred near Cadet Ave. near the Rocky Butte Natural Area. An engineer was at the scene assessing the situation Thursday morning, PBOT told KOIN.
On the coast, traffic is slow on Highway 101 between Cannon Beach and Seaside due to flooding in the area. In Tillamook County, all lanes of Highway 131 are closed between Oceanside Netarts due to a slide.
“It will take several weeks to finish repairs and fully reopen the highway at this location,” the ODOT traffic map states.
KOIN 6 will continue to follow the latest weather forecasts for the greater Portland area.
