Storms in Oregon claim one life
10:49 AM PST on Friday, December 7, 2007
PORTLAND — As the Oregon storm cleanup picks up steam, the toll of dead now includes one person who died when a river swept away her pickup truck, a few more who died of health problems during the event and a woman run over by a pickup truck as she was clearing debris from her yard.
It appeared only one death was directly caused by the twin storms of December 2007 the death of Theresa Hurliman, 54, whose was swept away in her pickup in the Nehalem River.
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Tillamook County deputies said rescuers tried to get to her, but the river pulled the pickup away.
Also in Tillamook County, Doris Hart, 90, of Tillamook, died of a heart attack.
In Clatsop County to the north, Sheriff Tom Bergin said there were two deaths during the storm that were "related to health issues that went awry."
In Washington and Columbia counties, law enforcement personnel said they hadn't gotten reports of deaths related to the storm.
Undersheriff Terry Huntsman of Tillamook County said Thursday that Laura Steyaert of Cloverdale along U.S. 101 in the southern part of the county died in an accident during cleanup.
She and her husband, Raymond, were clearing debris from their yard, Huntsman said. Raymond was driving a pickup and thought she had gone into the house, put the truck in reverse and ran over her, he said.
The areas affected by the storm are still recovering.
The Oregon Department of Transportation said most highways had reopened, Amtrak resumed service from Portland and Pacific Power said it was making progress in Clatsop County, where 23,000 customers had been without power for several days.
The major transmission line to the region has been repaired, crews are working Astoria substation by substation and "the lights are starting to come on," said spokesman Tom Gauntt. Seaside was still substantially without power and workers are trying to begin service from a portable generator in Cannon Beach.
14,000 still without power
A Pacific Power spokesman says 14,000 customers still remain without power Friday. Spokesman Tom Gauntt says Seaside is the hardest hit with 8,000 customers still in the dark. In Astoria, 4,000 remain without electricity.
And 2,000 Pacific Power customers in Cannon Beach are without. But Gauntt says a generator there has helped 500 customers.
He says a big problem is that eight towers are damaged between Seaside and Cannon Beach.
But he hopes to get many customers up today, though some will clearly take the weekend to complete fixing the power outages.
Food Bank Network providing food to storm victims
The Oregon Food Bank Network is working hard to provide food to an expanded number of people in need who have been affected by this week's storm.
The Network was already struggling with low food supplies.
Rachel Bristol is CEO of Oregon Food Bank. She says"Once again, we ask the community to step forward and help."
Yesterday, Oregon Food Bank delivered 10,000 pounds of food to Vernonia to help families in need of food and water in that area. In addition, Mt. Hood Beverage donated three pallets of water and donated trucking to deliver it to The Regional Food Bank of Tillamook County.
Safeway is donating a truckload of water for to distribute to member hunger-relief agencies in flooded areas.
Today, the Oregon Food Bank will make deliveries of additional thousands of pounds of food and water to Astoria and Tillamook.
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