Published on : Monday, February 10, 2014
The City of Portland got lashed by freezing rain and an emergency alert was issued as the snowy Portland Metro Area was pummeled. The city urged residents not to travel due to hazardous road conditions for drivers and pedestrians. TriMet shut down all MAX lines and the Portland Streetcar due to weather Saturday night and buses were re-routed to help transport stranded riders.
“We are currently moving any train we can to a platform to allow passengers to get off,” said TriMet spokeswoman Roberta Altstadt. Doors were being kept closed to keep passengers warm, but people were allowed to come and go by pushing the door release button. Altstadt said she didn’t know how long the MAX system would be on hold and urged people to stay home tonight. Temperatures overnight stayed below freezing as an icy mix developed, dumping sleet and freezing rain around the region.
In Oregon’s worst ice storms over the years, tens of thousands of residents lost power as lines were downed and transformers blew up across the metro area and central Willamette Valley.On Saturday, city commissioners Nick Fish and Steve Novick were joined by TriMet’s Mary Fetsch in an afternoon press conference. They warned residents to stay home rather than try to drive in the dicey conditions.Oregon State Police reported 600 weather-related crashes in the state since the first wave of snow moved in Thursday. Most of the injuries were minor, but one woman was killed Friday afternoon on Interstate 84 near Rooster Rock. She was a passenger when the driver lost control and smashed into a tree.
Salem announced Friday evening that all vehicles were required to have chains or traction tires going into Sunday morning. Both Vancouver and Beaverton officials also urged its residents to stay inside and use caution when driving after freezing rain pounded the region.
Tags: News Pick, Portland in shambles as freezing rain lashes city
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