(Jewell, Oregon) – A series of photos of the after effects from the first 12 days of winter in Jewell with a short video clip of Fish Hawk Falls managing the runoff of more snowfall than the area has seen in the last 20 years. Numerous outbuildings have fallen from the weight of snow combined with ice on their roofs, burying woodpiles and saturating the wood underneath, leaving homes bitterly cold and people forced to burn furniture after 10 days of being without electricity. Many of the 680 households in the area were without power up to 18 days! Those that had generators watched, in desperation, as snow continued to fall closing roads and restricting their supply of fuel. While most living in this isolated community are prepared for the numerous power outages that happen throughout the winter power is usually restored within three days. Never before had both snow and power outage hit the community at the same time, isolating it for close to two weeks.
These photographs were just taken this Friday and Saturday, Jan 2nd & 3rd, after a “mere” few inches of snowfall added to the three or four feet already laying on the ground. When the snow stops, it will start to melt and a whole new set of problems will arise. The community is determined to face these problems with a group of people leading them that is dedicated to emergency preparedness and response, the East County Rescue, located at the Nehalem Valley Community Church.
A load of wood being loaded up in Knappa for a trip out to Jewell
Highway 202 to Jewell from Astoria. What people need to remember, according to Victor Torrico the Ops Coordinator for East County Rescue, is that although the snow may have melted everywhere else it is still a huge issue out in Jewell, something people have to deal with and figure out how (or if) they can get around it.
Where the pavement is clear of snow the driving doesn’t get any easier and the driver must continue to be alert. Mud slides and flooding are a constant danger along Hwy 202, especially after the amount of snowfall that was recently experienced.
Many homes were snowed in for days, and in some cases for a week or longer. Even after the snow plow had come through, clearing the road, the berms created by the plow further blocked many people who were unaware that the plow had gone by and they would need to immediately dig an opening to the road or face the threat that the freshly piled snow would freeze, virtually blocking all access to the road coming or going.
The storm took out many barns, woodsheds, and various other outbuildings. Some were already on their last legs, others, however, were buildings being used up to the moment the roofs caved in. Wood was soaked and left useless, cows and livestock were left out in the cold, hay and other feed destroyed.
Woodpile at East County Rescue/Nehalem Valley church getting low
Video of Fish Hawk Falls flowing angrily, swollen with runoff.
Photos and video courtesy of Bart Rummell
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