2021 CCSO Year In Review - Flipbook - Page 10
CC SO 2021 Ye ar in R e v ie w
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Historic Weather
THE
Ice Storm
A
historic winter storm hit Clackamas County and neighboring areas in the late
afternoon on Feb. 11, 2021. It was the worst ice storm to hit the county in decades —
bringing down thousands of trees, closing down roads, and causing power outages
that affected 240,000 Portland General Electric customers in Clackamas County alone.
CCSO deputies went to work. In additional to their normal calls for
service, deputies responded to weather-related traffic crashes, rescued
stranded motorists, and conducted other weather-related calls and
welfare checks. Night-shift deputies reported being covered with ice from
head to toe after being in the elements for only 20 minutes. Clackamas
County Jail offered its generator power and refrigerator space to store
thousands of endangered vaccine doses when Clackamas County Health
Clinics suffered a storm-related power outage. CCSO’s public-information
team boosted messages about generator safety and other winter-storm
safety tips.
Emergency crews worked through multiple nights alongside deputies,
including personnel from PGE, Clackamas Fire and the Oregon Department of Transportation. Innumerable county roads were impassable
due to snow or ice build-up, fallen trees, downed power lines and other
hazards — including parts of Highways 26, 211 and 224.
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Local power crews were overwhelmed by the demand, and power outages would linger for many for nearly two weeks after the storm first hit.
The Board of County Commissioners declared a formal state of
emergency on Feb. 13. As power outages continued, on Feb. 20
Sheriff’s Office deputies began systematic door-to-door welfare checks
of residents identified as “high-risk” for need in the wake of the storm and
ensuing power outages. Residents at high risk included older adults, the
homebound and those considered medically fragile.
The relief operation came to include members of our Search & Rescue
team and Sheriff’s Office employees from Community Corrections and
all CCSO divisions. The effort continued through Feb. 23, as power was
finally restored to the majority of county residents.
