Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 16, 2006 Pacific Power linemen Marc Buti, left, and Chris Murphy work to repair a power line damaged by a fallen tree Friday morning that knocked out power to the Gold Hill area. The charged line arced as this photo was taken, in what the wokers said was a normal part of the repair they were performing. (Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli) Storm cleanup begins Southern Oregon gets off easy compared to rest of state as Pacific storm swipes region By Anita Burke Mail Tribune and Chris Conrad Crews spent most of Friday cleaning up after a storm that rocked Josephine County and the coast but dealt the Rogue Valley just a glancing blow. Higher-than-normal winds downed some trees and power lines, causing temporary outages and road closures, but most of Southern Oregon was back in business by late Friday morning. The weather did not affect business on Mount Ashland, which opened its lifts to skiers and snowboarders Friday. General manager Kim Clark said people were pleased with the skiing conditions. The Ariel lift remained closed because of high winds and blowing snow. The mountain recorded only one inch of snow Thursday night. Advertisement "We were hoping for a lot more," Clark said. "We heard from weather experts that 10 to 12 inches was expected and we were hoping for that." Rogue River residents had to wait until 2:30 p.m. before power was fully restored. Winds toppled a 200-foot fir tree Thursday evening, severing power lines along Rogue River Highway and causing a gas leak. Chris Moore, who lives in the 6500 block of Rogue River Highway, watched as the wind pushed over the tree. She gathered up her children and fled her home as it came down, she said. "I saw it go. I looked out and saw the fence lift up and then saw the whole tree just blew over," she said. "It was like something out of 'The Wizard of Oz.' " The root bulb ripped, severing her gas line as it was torn from the earth. The resulting leak was a concern for Rogue River Fire Department crews, who asked Moore's neighbor to shut off her gas fireplace. "We're just so lucky that it didn't hit our house or a neighbor's house, or that there wasn't a car coming that split-second," Moore added. Road crews managed to clear one lane of the highway at around 9:30 p.m. Power was restored to the city at 2:30 p.m. As temperatures dropped Friday evening, motorists on Highway 62 near Lost Creek Lake found themselves sliding around on large patches of black ice between mileposts 30 and 35. At least three minor accidents were reported in the area, officials said. Pacific Power spokesman Monte Mendenhall said about 9,400 customers in Jackson and Josephine counties lost power overnight Thursday, with the bulk of those in Josephine County. By mid-morning Friday, about 1,550 customers around Grants Pass and 1,200 in Cave Junction were still without electricity. About 400 people in the Applegate and Provolt area, 300 in Merlin, 200 in Glendale and 300 in Rogue River also were waiting for power to be restored, he said. Eryca McCartin, the Oregon Department of Transportation's interim manager for District 8, which includes Jackson and Josephine counties, said Josephine County was hit slightly harder than Jackson with high winds that downed trees and knocked out traffic signals, but Southern Oregon fared far better than regions to the north. In addition to the big tree that closed Rogue River Highway, limbs and trees shut down Highways 138, 238 and 62 for a time. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-444485, or e-mail [email protected] .Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] .Mail Tribune reporter Sanne Specht contributed to this story. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com