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Boat Fire . . ...................................................... PAGE 3 Federal Funding........................................... PAGE 4

January 3, 2023

Serving Lincoln City Since 1927

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Water saturation, freezing temperatures, high winds create

‘The perfect storm’

Storm sees out 2022, here’s how to prepare

Drivers asked to use caution, be watchful

WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.

JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

A cold front blasted through Oregon last week, bringing freezing rain and snow to different parts of the state. In Lincoln County, a combination of water saturation, freezing temperatures, and high winds created the perfect storm. While it wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary for the winter season on the Oregon coast, the storm still became disruptive. It caused temporary road closures and power outages as ice, and downed trees and branches obstructed infrastructure. Lincoln County Emergency Contact Virginia Demaris described what made the storm tumultuous. “If you look historically at Lincoln County during our winter season, this could be viewed as a typical event where we have an over satuCOURTESY OF ODOT ration of water and then also Huge rocks and other debris littered Highway 18 at Otis following the landslide. See more photos with this story at thethe wind storm,” Demaris said. “What kind of complinewsguard.com. cated matters was having that freezing event prior to, so that really sort of changes the soil capacity in the trees and then you add that atmospheric river, moisture levels to the ground, and then wind, that just makes for the perfect storm.” According to Demaris, there were more than 65,000 meters without power from this storm event across Oregon at one point. In Lincoln County, all three utility service providers had moderate to significant power outages due primarily to downed trees. “In this case, we saw were whole trees snapped in half, and then that really was the COURTESY OF THE LINCOLN CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT issue at hand because then Icy roads caused cars to slide out; here, a truck has slid into the median. See STORM, Page 11

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is urging drivers to be watchful for unstable hillsides along Oregon roadways following a landslide along Highway 18 just north of Lincoln City. ODOT reported the highway was partially blocked following the landslide at approximately 9 a.m. Saturday morning, Dec. 24. ODOT crews were able to reopen the highway later in the day, but the transportation agency warned drivers that flaggers would be directly traffic around fallen earth and rock during repair work. “We’ll clear the other lane and likely do some rock scaling on the slope to knock down any hazards still up there,” ODOT Representative Matt Noble said late Saturday. “That work will likely close both lanes for a time, for safety.” On Nov. 29, a massive landslide closed all lanes of Highway 30 between Astoria and Clatskanie. Crews were able to open one lane for traffic several days later. Work to fully reopen the Highway 30 slide areas continued over the holidays. The Highway 30 slide started at approximately 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, about 100 feet above the roadway, according to House. It was about 110-feet wide and sent at least 1,800 cubic yards of mostly rock onto the highway. Large road equipment has been brought to the site to move the debris from the roadway. Specially trained crews propelled down the side of the steep cliff to help See LANDSLIDE, Page 11

Crosswinds blamed for rollover collision STAFF REPORTS

Severe crosswinds are believed to have cause a semitruck to topple on to its side, pinning two other vehicles on Yaquina Bay Bridge Tuesday, Dec. 27. According to Newport officers, the collision occurred around 6:56 a.m. Officers responding to the area found a 2012 Kennewick semi and trailer on its side, blocking a northbound lane. Officers

also found a pickup truck and a second vehicle pinned between the semi’s trailer and the bridge curb. Officers reported semi driver Michael Frutiger of Portland, OR, was traveling south across the bridge when a strong gust of wind caused the truck and trailer to lift and turn onto the driver’s side into the northbound lanes as the other vehicles approached. Debris and cargo from

the rollover struck the pickup driven by Jakob Cook of South Beach, OR and a Chevrolet Cruz driven by Bambi Vandyke of Waldport, OR. Cook, Vandyke and a female passenger in Vandyke’s car were transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital with undisclosed injuries. No citations were issued and traffic on the bridge was restricted to one lane for about 5.5 hours. COURTESY PHOTO

A semi truck was forced onto its side by strong, gusting winds Tuesday morning. Two vehicles were pinned between the truck and the bridge curb by cargo and debris.

TheNewsGuard.com

WEATHER

INDEX Police Blotter ............ 2 Opinion ...................... 6

Classifieds.............. 7-8 Local ...................... 12

VOL. 96 NO. 1

TUE.

WED.

THU.

49º/43º

50º/44º

49º/43º

FRI.

45º/47º

SAT.

SUN.

MON.

51º/45º

49º/46º

52º/46º


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