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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 8, 2006 N. California: ‘It was a crazy time’ Siskiyou County starts cleaning out from the effects of winter storm By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune YREKA, Calif. — Siskiyou County is asking for residents’ help in evaluating the extent of damage suffered during the Dec. 30 storm, when widespread flooding destroyed 15 homes, caused major damage to nearly 30 others and took the life of a 19-year-old woman. The county’s Emergency Operations Center is asking residents, businesses and farms to call 530-842-2266 to report damage and to substantiate it with insurance claims. Damage estimates will help California, which declared a state of emergency Monday for northern counties, to ask for a similar federal declaration and pave the way for low-interest loans and other federal aid. Residents may have tax assessments adjusted to reflect lowered property values because of damage, according to county officials. The State Board of Equalization has given residents of Siskiyou and other counties damaged by the recent storm an extra month to pay sales, gasoline and other taxes. "It was crazy here Friday and Saturday (Dec. 30-31), a real mess, but the way people and agencies worked together — sheriff’s office, CalTrans, Department of Forestry, Red Cross, the county, everyone — it was absolutely fantastic," said county public information officer Susan Gravenkamp. "It was neighbor helping neighbor." The Red Cross opened two shelters, in Hornbrook and Happy Camp, for residents without power, with damaged homes or who were shopping in town and unable to get back home when the Klamath and Scott rivers flooded on Dec. 30 and closed highways, said Patrick Christensen of the American Red Cross. Advertisement "It was a crazy time, but we were very fortunate," said Christensen. "We were prepared, though, because we meet or have conference calls at least once a month, so we knew what to do and set up the county Emergency Operations Center Friday morning and everyone started working together there." The Red Cross served more than 3,000 meals, including those for police, firefighters and first responders. Food supplies were pre-arranged from local wholesale food outlets and also included meals ready to eat, the sort used by the military, he said. "I was in New Orleans (with the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina), and let me tell you, the people here in Siskiyou County — I would take any of them there with me in a heartbeat," Christensen said. Hardest hit, said Gravenkamp, are county roads, which suffered $3 million to $4 million damages. CalTrans already has contractors at work repairing washouts on state Highway 96 and other roads. Gravenkamp said there was "widespread damage" to agricultural land, fences and wells and that 74 homes and four businesses have reported minor damages and one business reported major damage from flooding. A 19-year-old Yreka woman was washed away in the rising waters of Yreka Creek and found drowned a mile downstream. A senior home in Scott Valley and a trailer park in Gazelle had to be evacuated during the flooding, with fleeing residents taking shelter in the R-Ranch in Hornbrook, the Gazelle Grange and the Hornbrook Community Church, said Gravenkamp. "People are starting to recover and get back to normal now," she added. "Everyone did extremely well and worked together. There was a lot happening and people running all over the place, but it was never out of control," said assistant county administrator Rose Ann Herrick. "At the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, there were a lot of compliments for everyone." John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations dvd-r Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Advertisement s