Lane County was hit particularly hard by the recent winter storms that left many areas of western Oregon without transportation or power. Ice and snow led to downed trees, closed roads and extensive power outages in the county. Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency on Tuesday to help county officials access “critical federal resources to aid in reconstruction and recovery efforts.” That’s after the county Board of Commissioners declared its own state of emergency earlier that day.
Laurie Trieger is the chair of the Lane County Board of Commissioners. She joins us with more details on the storm’s impacts and the county’s recovery efforts.