States of emergency in Northwest as storms kill 5 | 12.05.2007 | 08:47:26 | Views: 9651 | ID: December 5 '07: The Seattle Post Intelligencer reported that a state of emergency has been declared in Washington by Governor Chris Gregoire and in Oregon by Governor Ted Kulongoski. The late fall storms have knocked out power to more than 50,000 people while completely inundating Interstate 5. Officials said the road should re-open Thursday or Friday pending little damage to the infrastructure, however some estimates put the total cost of damage in the hundreds of millions. SeattlePI.com reported, "At least five people were killed and major road closures from flooding and slides included many stretches of U.S. 101 along the coast and Olympic Peninsula and U.S. 12 east of Aberdeen." In Oregon, Gov. Kulongski said his "priority is to ensure the safety of Oregonians by providing whatever resources they need to stay warm and dry and protect their property." The Salem-News reported, "The Governor declared a state of emergency ... due to the prolonged power outage, flooding and the need for shelter in many areas of the state." In Salem, the Emergency Coordination Center was activated to provide "support for county efforts and help coordinate emergency responses," the Salem-News continued. The SeattlePI.com found that the five who had died as a result of the storm included two hikers who were caught in an avalanche in the Cascade Mountains, "a Mason County man who died when he was buried in a building by a mudslide, a man in Aberdeen hit by a falling tree, and a man in Montesano who apparently relied on oxygen equipment that stopped operating after electricity was lost." Meanwhile, Coast Guard and Navy helicopters have been working to save those stranded in their homes by flooding. And "More than 100 National Guard soldiers have been assisting in the rescue operations. The Army Corps of Engineers also send seven flood teams to help monitor several levees," SeattlePI.com wrote.
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