PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared a severe winter weather state of emergency for nine counties in the Willamette Valley hit hard in a winter and ice storm this weekend.
The declaration covers Benton, Clackamas, Hood River, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill counties.
Hundreds of thousands of residents in these counties have lost electricity as a result of heavy snow and ice accumulation and high winds from the winter storm.
First-responders in Multnomah County are having difficulty responding to 911 calls.
“Vehicles are getting stuck in the middle of multiple intersections in the Fairview/Wood Village/Troutdale area,” Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office officials wrote in a Tweet. “This has created significant challenges for emergency vehicles responding to 911 calls. Please stay home.”
The declaration allows the state’s Office of Emergency Management to activate an emergency plan, which puts into motion the help from other agencies, such as state police, the Oregon National Guard and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
A county emergency had previously been declared for Clackamas County, where more than 130,000 county residents remain without power as of 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Countless roads have been closed due to downed trees or impassable conditions.
Residents have been asked to remain indoors and to avoid travel. Officials said there have been many reports of falling branches and chunks of ice.
PGE outages map
Pacific Power outages map
Clark County PUD outages
Salem Electric outages
Before Brown’s state of emergency declaration, Clackamas was the second county in the greater Portland area to declare an emergency based on the dangerous weather Saturday. Clark County, in Southwest Washington, declared an emergency just after 10 a.m. over multiple roads in the region — particularly in Washougal – have become impassable due to deteriorating conditions,