Oregon National Guard Aids Detroit and Idanha Communities

In December, the Oregon Guard assisted in the response and recovery phases of severe winter storms that struck the northwest part of the state with high wind and rains.

Detroit, Oregon

(DETROIT, Ore.) - The Oregon National Guard today will help people in Idanha and Detroit climb out from several feet of snow after a series of heavy snowfalls buried the communities in recent weeks.

The 1249th Engineer Battalion and the 142nd Civil Engineering Squadron will send nearly three dozen citizen-soldiers and airmen with heavy equipment to the cities in eastern Marion County along U.S. Highway 22. The heavy snowfalls buried homes, businesses, vehicles and roads.

Though the cities experience heavy snowfalls each year, the mayor of Idanha and community members noted the snowfall was particularly heavy this year, and the cycle of heavy accumulation followed by freezes over the course of several days made recovery this year particularly difficult.

Several local agencies including Marion and Linn Counties and the City of Salem have sent assistance to the cities. Marion County continues to lead the emergency response. State agencies have also leaned forward to help the cities in need. Over the weekend crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation and inmate crews from the Department of Corrections assisted with snow removal from roads and around select areas. The Oregon National Guard will now add to their effort when nearly three dozen engineers leave the Anderson Readiness Center in Salem with two front-end loaders on trailers, six dump trucks, two Bobcats, and two Humvees. The crews should be in Detroit and Idanha around noon.

In December, the Oregon National Guard assisted in the response and recovery phases of severe winter storms that struck the northwest part of the state with high wind and rains.

The Oregon Military Department oversees disaster response through the Office of Emergency Management and is ready to provide forces through the Oregon National Guard and the Oregon State Defense Force. Despite having more than 400 citizen-soldiers and dozens of citizen-airmen deployed around the world, the Oregon National Guard is ready to support local authorities throughout Oregon in a wide range of disasters.

Source: Oregon National Guard