Closures followed, from school districts to clinics, as did emergency declarations and flooding
By Nathan Wilson and Aziza Cooper-Hovland
Columbia Gorge News
THE GORGE — Early on Wednesday, Dec. 17, strong winds ripped through the Gorge, downing power lines and trees, followed by the second atmospheric river in as many weeks that brought more rain to an already saturated landscape, causing rivers to swell and flooding some areas.
Skamania, Wasco and Hood River counties all declared a state of emergency as a result. While the Stevenson-Carson School District was able to restore power in time for class on Wednesday, Hood River County’s School District told students to stay home and released kids early the following day. Around noon on Dec. 17, 28% of users (1.859) in Skamania County and 1,382 users in Klickitat County were without electricity, according to data from poweroutage.us. Hood River County began with about 1,500 outages in the morning, followed by a second wave due to another transmission line failure, compared to around 200 in Wasco, as previously reported by Columbia Gorge News.
The Columbia Gorge Regional Airport’s weather station recorded 66 mile-per-hour gusts that day, based on data aggregated by Weather Underground, while Mount Hood saw peak speeds of 138 mph. The airport station notched 2.77 inches of rainfall last Wednesday through Friday, whereas Parkdale accumulated 6.27 inches during the same period, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Although flood warnings were in place for both the Hood and Klickitat rivers, the former barely broached NOAA’s action stage, cresting at 11.08 feet late on Dec. 18. The Klickitat River, however, rose to 8.86 feet the following morning, nearly passing NOAA’s 9-foot threshold that would constitute a minor flood.
The windstorm and atmospheric river damaged homes, businesses and critical infrastructure, and overwhelmed sewer systems. The Odell Sanitary District reported last Thursday that stormwater and wastewater were spilling into Odell Creek, for instance, and counties are still assessing the full scope of damage.
Vet hospital avoids flood damage
The Alpine Veterinary Hospital on Frankton Road in Hood River was one property affected by flooding and plugged drainage. When Rachel Foss came to the hospital the morning of Dec. 18, she noticed the creek was still swollen from rain the night before.
“Each time I would check, it would rise higher and higher,” said Foss.
At noon, the water spilled over the driveway, and Foss started coordinating next steps. They closed the practice early to keep clients safe, Foss’s family picked up sandbags, and the groundskeeper called the county and friends to help keep the water away from the buildings. They marked out the driveway to reduce the risk of people driving into the culvert, and Hood River County employees were out with backhoes to clear the pipes of debris and help with drainage. Foss; her father, Michael Foss; and brother Patrick Foss spent long hours that evening laying sandbags in an attempt to redirect the overflowing creek away from the property, along with other family members and neighbors.
Their efforts were a success. The buildings of the veterinary hospital and groomers survived without major structural damage, albeit one of their driveways was washed away.
“I think some of our neighbors further downstream had a little bit more trouble,” said Foss. “I think we were pretty lucky with ours, that our damage was pretty minimal and no one was hurt.”
Water’s Edge and Wicks
The Water’s Edge building on Lone Pine Boulevard in The Dalles wasn’t as fortunate. A critical healthcare hub for several surrounding counties, last Wednesday’s windstorm ripped part of its roof clean off, prompting the Wasco County Board of Commissioners to issue an emergency declaration, alongside widespread power outages and road closures.
Crews have started repairs, and Adventist Health Columbia Gorge planned to reopen many of the clinics by Monday, Dec. 28, according to a press release, by relying on different facilities.
“We are incredibly grateful to our patients and community for their support and patience as we expedite our return to providing the care they’ve come to expect and trust,” said Jayme Thompson, the organization’s administrator, in the release.
For immediate care, providers have begun accepting same-day appointments at the Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s (MCMC’s) Family Medicine Clinic in The Dalles, while cardiology and orthopedic services are now at MCMC’s location in Hood River. For other clinics and more specific questions, staff encouraged patients to visit their online health portal, MyChart.
It’s currently unknown how long Water’s Edge will remain closed. While no injuries were reported, a separate near-miss incident occurred about eight miles southwest of downtown that same morning.
A small slide broke loose about 500 feet above the Wicks Water Treatment Plant, and one large boulder nearly hit the compressor building and entered a temporary storage pond. The boulder took out several trees along its descent, slowing it down, along with a walkway and railing that suffered minor damage, but no injuries were reported.
As a precautionary measure, buildings beneath the hillside are being kept unoccupied, and an engineer was on site last Wednesday to conduct a formal analysis of the event. Treatment operations weren’t disrupted and continue as normal, according to a press release.
Other notable closures
After a tree slid down the adjacent slope, overturning several concrete barriers and bringing a heap of sediment with it, Oregon Route 35 closed in both directions late Dec. 18. As of press deadline, the roadway remains shut down between mileposts 68 and 83.
Although the severe weather has subsided, all drivers in Oregon should consult tripcheck.com before venturing out, and wsdot.com for travel across the river.
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