PORTLAND - With the blistering winds gone and rain back to normal, Oregonians on the coast and in the Coast Range are sorting through the damage from one of the worst Oregon storms in recent memory.

Tens of thousands remain without electricity and some communications remained skimpy late Tuesday. And some roads were closed by flooding, downed trees and slides were reopening.

But hope was on the way for a respite from the winds and water.

"Dry weather has returned to the Portland and most of the rest of the Pacific Northwest, finally! Most rivers and streams continue to fall. By Wednesday night, the last of the flood warnings and watches should be canceled," said KGW Meteorologist Dave Salesky. "Dry weather and cool temperatures will continue through the rest of the week and into the first part of the weekend."

Governor Ted Kulongoski says he will ask for a federal disaster declaration in the wake of the storms that hit the state this week, after he toured hardest-hit areas on Tuesday.

The state doesn't yet have estimates about the damage costs, but an aide said the governor wants to get the request in and get the attention of the federal government and President Bush.

The hardest hit was the small town of Vernonia, where residents were evacuated from flooded homes by boat and the area was virtually cut off.

People seeking information on friends and family can call (503) 397-7255 extension 2286 or extension 2291.

Kulongoski said National Guard, state and county crews were able to get into the town early Tuesday morning, delivering generators and bottled water. Power and phone lines were also restored, but Kulongoski said the schools remained flooded along with the town's only grocery store.

He said residents of the town report that the floodwaters exceeded those of the last major storm, in 1996.

Mobile classrooms and help cleaning up from some state corrections inmates was expected, Kulongoski said.

The storm closed most major highways and disrupted telephone service as well. Electricity was out in thousands of homes, and schools closed. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for seven coastal rivers, and two inland.

KGW

Debris still littered roads up and down the Oregon Coast Wednesday.

A break was expected by Wednesday with rain tapering off, forecasters said. But with so much damage, closed roads and no power for many, the trouble was far from over. Authorities predicted it would take days to get everything reopened and working again.

The U.S. highway along the coast, 101, also was closed in places.

Qwest said customers in Astoria, Seaside and Warrenton were unable to make long-distance calls, and those towns as well as Cannon Beach and Westport were without 9-1-1 service.

The Red Cross opened a shelter at the Tillamook County fairgrounds, and drew 30 people initially, but communications were so broken that the organization couldn't determine how many more might have arrived, said spokeswoman Lise Harwin.

In Astoria, Pacific Power said, a man had been injured by a falling tree, but no additional details were available.

"The ground is saturated from intensive rainfall and trees are leaning into power lines and dropping to the ground," the utility said in a statement.

Pacific Power said its crews had to cut their way into Clatsop County through scores of downed trees. It said 100-foot transmission poles were downed, and large sections of transmission lines were on the ground. At one point, the utility said, it had to recall crews.

State government functions were curtailed along the coast. The Department of Administrative Services said the driver's license and employment offices in Columbia County had flooded and most state offices were closed in Tillamook and Clatsop counties. Exceptions were the 24-hour operations such as the State Police, and the departments of transportation and corrections.

Amateur radio operators said they were trying to help with communications as Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook counties experienced spotty or non-existent telephone service.