2021 huffs and puffs
The iconic Tall Pine diner's tall pine lays on top of it in Pinehurst following Wednesday morning's wind storm. Pinehurst was arguably the most affected Silver Valley city of them all, with emergency crews responding to several incidents similar to this one.
Photo by CHANSE WATSON
Pinehurst Elementary School Principal Mike Groves cuts up and moves a fallen tree in front of the school.
Metal roofing from the old Sands Hotel in Smelterville hangs in a tree roughly 300 yards southwest of the building. This roofing was a common sight around town on Wednesday.
A tree lays on a shop on Fifth Street in Pinehurst. Multiple homes and structures along Fourth and Fifth streets had similar incidents.
A pair of trees lay over power lines on the way up to Pine Creek. This was a common sight along Pine Creek Road.
Onlookers survey the collapsed Nickerson Building in Uptown Kellogg.
While many in the Silver Valley have seen a return to their power and internet services, much of the county still remained in the dark Thursday night following Wednesday's devastating wind storm.
In response to the widespread damage, the worst of it occurring in and around Pinehurst/Pine Creek, Shoshone County officials have declared a State of Emergency.
"Shoshone County experienced wide-spread power outages and numerous road closures resulting from Wednesday’s windstorm," said Commissioner Mike Fitzgerald. "In an effort to support response activities, the Shoshone Board of County Commissioners passed a Resolution Declaring a Disaster. Should it be necessary, the Resolution provides for the first steps in requesting additional resources for local and private responses."
County Sheriff Mike Gunderson explains that emergency crews have responded to hundreds of different weather related calls since high winds swept through the area around 2 a.m. on Wednesday and knocked out power around 6-7 a.m.
The SCSO 911 center was inundated with calls for service, mostly involving downed trees on (insert thing it shouldn't be on) in the areas of Pinehurst and Pine Creek. The call frequency was so intense that it was difficult for dispatchers to keep up.
"For the most part, it's organized chaos," Sheriff Gunderson said of the response effort. "It's just triaging at its best when you have to handle the highest priorities first and problem solve when you get there."
In addition to the damage caused by the day-long wind storm, the accompanying black out (which still persists in many areas of the county as of this writing) gave people even more cause for worry.
Elderly residents and people on oxygen were of particular concern, since technology is needed in many of their cases to keep them alive.
As of Thursday night, power had been restored to many of the major cities, such as Kellogg, Wallace, Osburn, Smelterville and Mullan. Other west-end cities that got the worst of the storm, such as Pinehurst and Kingston, haven't been as lucky.
Avista Utilities President and CEO Dennis Vermillion stated in a Thursday afternoon press release that work crews have been working hard to repair the extensive wind storm damage across the region (not just in the Silver Valley).
"We want to thank you for your patience as we work to assess damage, restore power and provide estimated restoration times for all of you who lost power as a result of this unique and challenging storm," he said. "With the extent of the damage, we anticipate some of you will be out of power for multiple days, and we encourage you to prepare for this. We understand this unknown can be challenging and frustrating, and we are committed to getting you this information and restoring your power as quickly and safely as we can."
Outage details can be found on Avista's outage map on their website.
Moving forward, Fitzgerald and Gunderson ask residents to obey all road closures and minimize non-essential travel. Certain road closures and/or access restrictions are known such as Dobson Pass. Limited access areas include the Old North Fork Coeur d’Alene River Road, Prichard-Murray and Pine Creek Road.
If you come across downed power lines, be sure to stay away from them, as it could be live.
If you're experiencing a power shortage, shelter in-place or with family and neighbors, where possible. Use alternate power sources safely and be cautious of fire and/or carbon monoxide hazards.
With the assistance of the Kellogg School District, Shoshone County opened a Community Warming Center on Thursday.
The center, located at the old Kellogg Middle School, is a drug and alcohol free facility. Masks and social distancing are required.
Occupancy/time of stay may be limited based on demand.
Tables, chairs, restrooms and water are available, but food is not provided.
As of Thursday night, an additional Community Warming Shelter was currently being coordinated. If an additional shelter is opened, information will be released as soon as possible.
"A thank you to our county staff who have been working endlessly," Fitzgerald said. "Public works have been active since before sunup on Wednesday clearing downed trees and opening roads. The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office have been manning 911 and on patrol 24/7 assisting the public at every turn. Lastly, a great thank you to our community members for being the kind, helping neighbors they are."
The Shoshone County Disaster Services staff, Sheriff's Office and Commissioners are well into response planning efforts with state and local agencies.
The News-Press and county will continue to communicate with residents regarding response efforts and available resources.
