STANDSTILL - DAY THREE

It's pushing 9pm Thursday and we haven't left the house in any meaningful way since Monday night: the grocery store to stock up on a few necessities.

Today, Hillsboro and the westside started to thaw - slowly - with better road conditions on most major thoroughfares. Unfortunately, the smaller side roads which we have to take to get anywhere, including the MAX train that was not functioning today, were still pretty bad for most of the day. Beaverton Schools cancelled classes, so Jill did not go into work. I stayed home as well and worked at home again, though I had to ask for more work to be sent to me because I was starting to run out!

Jill and I are quite grateful that we bought a house in Hillsboro after all of this has happened. We're nowhere near the Columbia Gorge, which continues to bring colder air into the east side of the metro area. Wind, continued freezing rain and generally bad weather are the norm over there. Over here in the Tualatin Valley, it's balmy in comparison. I wouldn't want trees collapsing on power lines or water mains and pipes bursting like they have been over in east Multnomah County (east Portland).

Portland International Airport had all inbound and outbound flights cancelled by all airlines today and the same has been announced for tomorrow. The number of passengers stranded is well into the thousands. That includes Lisa Rodener, a friend temporarily staying with John and Judy, who is presently stranded in Phoenix waiting for America West to resume flights to Portland.


from The Oregonian

Interstate 84 is still closed from Portland to Hood River, a stretch of about 60 miles. It's the main artery of freight from the Pacific Ocean, though Portland, to Chicago and most parts east. Untold economic losses have been wrought, but nobody will ever know the final tally. The Portland metro area already has the highest recorded unemployment rate in the country.. we didn't need this.

We are now officially under flood advisories, meaning the possibility of flooding is escalated. Floods have not yet been reported anywhere. But in the coming days, the extent of rainfall and the speed with which temperatures rise will determine the extent of flooding. Again, nobody can say.

Besides working, I spent part of my lunchtime hour digging a trench in the ice and snow about 30 feet to encourage drainage of melting snow on our side of the street. I went outside to check the mail and a lake was already forming. I also broke up the inch-thick layer of ice sealing off our gutters. Rainfall, which began yesterday, and snowmelt was going over the side of the house instead of through the downspouts and out, away from the house.

Beaverton School District has already declared that school will be closed tomorrow, Friday, so Jill has gotten nearly a full week of vacation. But they'll tack on an extra four days in June, so she's not exactly pleased at that prospect. Provided roads are again slushy tomorrow morning like they were late this afternoon, and the MAX train is working again, I'll be headed back to the office downtown.

I'll let you know how it goes!