PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Parts of Oregon are still without power a week after a major snowstorm, and it could be several more weeks before everything is fixed as crews deal with downed trees and impassable roadways.
KGW reports that Douglas Electric Cooperative has crews working all over southern Oregon, but say that in some of the worst-hit areas, it could be another three weeks before electricity is back on.
As of Monday morning, more than 4,800 customers, or about 54 percent of those in the co-op’s coverage area, were still experiencing outages.
The co-op says it has crews working with people from Douglas County and the Oregon Department of Transportation to help cut and dig their way into damaged areas.
Elkton, Scottsburg, Curtain and the Upper Smith River area are listed as communities where power could take up to three weeks to restore.
At least four shelters opened in Douglas County for those without heat and electricity. The shelter in Elkton also is offering showers and meals to those who need help but don’t want to sleep there, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Monday.
To the north, another hard-hit area was also slow to get power back.
About 4,000 residents of Lane County - home of the University of Oregon - were still without power on Monday, one week after a snowstorm struck the central Willamette Valley.
Power is expected to be mostly restored by Thursday or sooner in most areas, but extensive damage to the electrical system along Highway 126 from heavy snow and downed trees made repairs challenging.
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