Oregon deploys National Guard for welfare checks post-winter storm

Oregon Public Broadcasting | By Ryan Haas

Published February 19, 2021 at 3:58 PM PST

More than 61,000 Portland General Electric Customers remained without power Friday afternoon, following a winter storm that slammed Oregon over the President’s Day weekend.

That number is down considerably from its peak, but leaders in Clackamas County said they are pleased the state will deploy the National Guard to ensure the safety of Oregonians hardest hit by the outages.

“We have asked for support from Guard members to provide wellness checks to allow us to reach every household,” Clackamas County Chairperson Tootie Smith said in a statement Friday. “We are particularly concerned about our rural residents, making sure that those who are homebound are visited.”

At the peak of the storm damage, hundreds of thousands of customers were without power. Clackamas and Marion counties remain the hardest hit from the storm, with some rural customers remaining without electricity for a week, even as cold temperatures persist. Gov. Kate Brown announced the deployment of the National Guard during a news conference Friday.

Clackamas County has established centers to distribute food and water to residents, but leaders there said some people cannot make it to the centers on their own. They plan to use National Guard members to help with the delivery of needed goods, in addition to the wellness checks.

“With the help of the National Guard, our odds of connecting with everyone who remains without power are much greater,” state Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said. “My thanks to the Governor for calling up the National Guard to help protect the lives and safety of our neighbors.”

Portland General Electric launched a website Friday that shows active outages and how long those outages could last. Some areas, like Gresham, are expected to have service back within three days. Other areas, like Silverton, could face up to nine days before customers have power back.

“Silverton is about 2,400 customers ... It is one of the hardest hit areas,” said PGE vice president of grid architecture Larry Bekkedahl. “Currently we have five crews there that are doing restoration.”

PGE president and CEO Maria Pope said the company would continue to prioritize senior citizens and other vulnerable populations as they worked to restore power across the region.

PGE contractors from DJ's Electrical in Portland repair a transformer box on a power pole on Southeast Madison Street near 17th Avenue in Portland, Feb. 16, 2021. Portland General Electric officials said post of its customers' power will be restored by Friday night. — PGE contractors from DJÕs Electrical in Portland repair a transformer box on a power pole on SE Madison St. near SE 17th Ave. in Portland, Feb. 16, 2021

A large tree limb is tangled in a power line, lying across SE Ash St. near SE 20th Ave., Feb. 16, 2021. The metro area continues to dig out following the weekendÕs snow and ice storms.

PGE contractors from DJ's Electrical in Portland repair a transformer box on a power pole on Southeast Madison Street near Southeast 17th Avenue in Portland, Feb. 16, 2021.

PGE crews wait near a downed line at SE 109th Ave. near SE Mitchell St., Feb. 16, 2021. The metro area continues to dig out following the weekendÕs snow and ice storms.

A biker navigates the slushy streets in Northeast Portland, Feb. 16, 2021. The metro area continues to dig out following the weekendÕs snow and ice storms.

Charlie, no last name given, works to remove limbs from a large oak in front of his home in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021. — A Southwest Portland resident works to remove limbs from a large oak in front of his home in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021. Tens of thousands of people remained without power in the Pacific Northwest after a winter storm blanketed the region with ice and snow and made travel treacherous.

Tree damage in Southeast Portland on Monday.

A man (no name given) shovels the walks on NE 21st Ave., near Wasco St. in Portland, Feb. 16, 2021. The metro area continues to dig out following the weekendÕs snow and ice storms.

Residents in Southeast Portland Woodstock neighborhood assess the damage as a broken line stretches across the street, Feb. 16, 2021.

Large tree fell in Eastmoreland in Portland on Monday.

A large tree blocks Bybee Road which connects Eastmoreland and Sellwood in Portland on Monday. Nearly every block in Woodstock and Eastmoreland has tree limbs and power lines down as thousands remained without power.

Nearly every block in Woodstock and Eastmoreland in Portland has tree limbs and power lines down as thousands remained without power on Monday.

Lower Macleay Park still featured a snowy trail along Balch Creek on Monday.

Ice melts from tree branches in Southeast Portland, Feb. 16, 2021.

Balch Creek is full and muddy on Monday after the snow and ice storm.

Kurt Nistler shovels his driveway in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.

Snow covered homes near Rock Creek Trail in Hillsboro, Feb. 13, 2021.

Dan Forester takes his cross country skis to the roadway, in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.

Katie Brown, ambushes her brother Sam with a shovel of snow in Beaverton, Feb 13, 2021.

Daisy, 13, doesn't look like she's thrilled by her sleigh ride, as she is towed by her owner Christy McCardle, in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.

A hummingbird heads towards a feeder in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021. Hummingbirds can endure cold snaps as long as they have fresh, and unfrozen food available.

A duck snow sculpture is left atop a mailbox in Southwest Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.

Piknik Park food cart pod in Sellwood, Feb 13, 2021.

Freezing rain encapsulates a camellia bloom in SE Portland, Feb 13, 2021.

Trees snapped under the weight of ice and snow and gusting winds in West Linn, near Salamo Rd. at Cascade Summit, Feb 13, 2021.

A downed tree in the Alameda neighborhood at NE 23rd Ave. and NE Ridgewood Dr. in Northeast Portland, February 15, 2021.

A snowplow clears eastbound Rosa Parks Way towards Vancouver Blvd., Portland, Feb 13, 2021. Snow and ice from the recent storm has made for hazardous driving conditions in the Portland metro area.

An eyeless snowman in Beaverton, Feb 13, 2021.

A trio pushes a car spinning out near the Sunset Transit Center in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

Terry Waitrovich, left, and his wife Mary Faupel use hiking poles for balance as the walk along Barnes Rd. in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The pair hiked to their COVID-19 vaccination appointment instead of driving in the snow.

Door Dash driver Nalik Jackson of Portland struggles to put on snow chains in Beaverton, Feb. 12, 2021, so he can complete a food delivery. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning.

A pedestrian braces against the wind and snow as they walk along Barnes Rd. in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

A jogger runs through the snow across the Burnside Bridge in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021.

Kurt Spies pushes his son seven-month-old son Luke along a path in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. Portlanders got the dusting of snow they were promised from a series of Pacific storms. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

Downtown Portland in a dusting of snow, Feb. 12, 2021.

Odin, 1, an American Akita, bounces in the fresh snowfall near Prineville, which has received several inches of snow in the past 24 hours.

A person walks to their car in the Mountain View neighborhood of Bend, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, after a day's snowfall.

A person hikes up Pilot Butte in Bend, Ore., Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, after a day's snowfall.

The corner of N. Mississippi Ave and N. Failing St., looking north in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

Black bamboo stalks along Johnson Creek are coated in ice in Milwaukie, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

A view of the I-5 looking northbound in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

Looking through an iced over window in Milwaukie, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.

Apples remaining on a tree are covered in ice and snow, in Milwaukie, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

Sledding at Overlook Park in Portland, Feb. 12, 2021. The National Weather Service announced one inch of snowfall at its Portland office as of early Friday morning. Accumulation totals vary across the region.

A person wearing a unicorn onesie walks west on Rosa Parks Way over I-5 in Portland, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.

A porch table serves as an unofficial snow measurement in Southeast Portland, Feb 12, 2021. The National Weather Service said the next storm will arrive Friday night and bring a high possibility of significant freezing rain in the Coast Range, Willapa Hills, the Central Willamette Valley and perhaps across the southern Portland metro.

A large tree snapped, taking out some power lines at NE 50th Ave and NE Alameda St. in Portland, Feb 13, 2021.

A fashionable snowman, in Hillsboro, Feb. 13, 2021.

Children playing on a snow covered Northeast 18th Ave. in Portland, Feb. 13, 2021.

Sledders at Clinton City Park near Franklin High School, Feb. 13, 2021.

In this photo supplied by Portland General Electric, a lineman works on a pole in Beaverton, Feb. 13, 2021.

In this photo supplied by Portland General Electric, a line crew works to get the power back on in Beaverton, Feb. 13, 2021.

In this photo supplied by Portland General Electric, power lines lie on the ground in Beaverton, Feb. 13, 2021.