One dead, one missing in wind storm
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Winds roared through Oregon and Washington state killing one person and leaving rubble in their wake beginning Tuesday night.
Locally, a roof was blown off an apartment complex on Southeast 10th Street in Pendleton. Fire Chief Jim Critchley said there was also roof damage to the Pendleton Parks and Recreation shop on Tutuilla Road.
Interstate 84 was shut down at Hood River due to a landslide that swept a car away. In addition a tractor trailer in Washington state was nearly blown off a bridge. In addition at least one woman is missing after her vehicle was swept away in a landslide in the community of Dodson on the Columbia River Gorge. Thermal imaging cameras failed to pinpoint any heat sources in the debris flow, which is about 10 feet deep in some areas. Residents of Dodson were evacuated.
The only known death at this time was a woman in Spokane who was trapped when a tree fell on her car.
It’s estimated that at least 500,000 people were without electricity in Oregon and Washington. Winds were clocked at more than 70 miles per hour in the Gorge.
Photo via Pendleton Professional Firefighters Local 2296
