COVID-19 Weekly Report

 

Lincoln County Public Information Update Sept 23rd PDF 

The following is an information update from the Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) provided by the Lincoln County Public Information Officer (PIO). This is the last Public Information Update for the Echo Mountain Fire Complex and straight-line wind event. Keep up to date on all Oregon wildfire resources at https://wildfire.oregon.gov/
Update Narrative

Oregon Department of Forestry – We have reached 100% containment on the Echo Mtn. Complex. From this point forward the West Oregon District will patrol the fire lines. Those that are close to it may see smoke from the interior, this is normal. If you have any questions please contact the Toledo office at 541-336-2273

National Weather Service – A cold front moves inland today increasing winds and bringing significant rainfall to all areas. Strongest south-southwest winds likely between 9 am and 6 pm Wednesday, with gusts 35 to 45 mph – strongest across beaches, coastal headlands, and higher terrain. Showers and perhaps an isolated thunderstorm on Thursday. Total rainfall Wednesday/Wednesday night: 1 to 2 inches for the coastal areas, but 2 to 4 inches for the Willapa Hills and Coast Range. High threat of sneaker waves on Pacific Ocean beaches.

Fire and wind damaged areas may see additional damage during this storm. If you have damaged or burned trees on your property, contact your insurance agency and a professional tree-faller or arborist. If you see a smoking stump, it is not an emergency. You can use a hose to extinguish smoldering vegetation or stumps. Do not call 911 for smoldering vegetation. It can take several weeks for the rain to fully extinguish the smoldering vegetation. However, if you see flames due to wind or an actual fire, call 911. North Lincoln Fire and Rescue Business Number – 541-996-2233 Non-Emergency Dispatch Number – 541-994-3636

National Weather Services – Current Conditions: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=44.6419&lon=-123.8676#.X2uIpmhKiUm

The initial damage assessment has been completed. Road and utility safety concerns have been mitigated, though utility services will be working in the area for several more days. Be
Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Public Information Update #07 Revised: 09/23/20 12:00pm
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aware that utility outages may occur for several more days as water, gas and power repairs continue. Help after the disaster

The Lincoln County Emergency Operations Center is hosting a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) that will be available for those whose homes are affected by the Echo Mountain Complex Fire. The MARC will be open this week at the Lincoln City Outlets in Suites 200 and 410. • Tuesday September 22: 3pm – 8pm, • Wednesday September 23, 2020: 1pm – 8pm, and • Thursday September 24: 8am – 1pm The Resource Center will include representatives from a variety of agencies to support those affected by the fires and straight-line wind event.

The Trauma Support Center is also at the outlet mall and is open from 10:00am – 5pm. The Donation Distribution Center is located in Suite 118 and is open from 10:00am to 6pm.

The MARC is not a donation drop-off or pick-up location and is only open to those people whose homes and properties are in the fire area.

There is support available for those who have been affected by the Echo Mountain Complex Fire: • Lincoln County Crisis Hotline: 1-866-266-0288 • Disaster Stress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. This line is available in 100 languages, 24 hours a day 7 days a week • In-person crisis support with Lincoln County Behavioral Health: Suite 410 at the Outlet mall (across from the donation distribution center).

Individual Assistance – FEMA Website: DisasterAssistance.gov/ela Phone: 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. PDT, seven days a week.

Low-interest disaster loans – SBA Website: http://www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance Phone: 1-800-659-2955 or TTY 800-887-8339

Housing and Community Services: https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/Pages/index.aspx Renters Rights https://www.oregonrentersrights.org/
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Debris Management For people moving back into households within the fire zone but have no fire damage: Service will be restarted as normal

For households directly impacted by the fire: • There are both safety and logistical concerns homeowners need to consider prior clean up, especially related to the potential risks of asbestos. • Due to the risks of asbestos, self-hauling fire related debris is not recommended at this time. DEQ has information at https://www.oregon.gov/deq/wildfires/Pages/After-the-Fire.aspx • Property owners are reminded that insurance and FEMA claims require proper handling of debris materials as well as proper documentation to receive reimbursement. Importantly, failing to follow required processes from the very start of the cleanup process may result in rejected claims and pose significant safety issues. • Owners from fire-impacted areas may contact the Lincoln County Call Center 541265-0621 for the up-to-date information on the debris management plan for their area.

Contact DEQ for help if you: • Have concerns about asbestos on your property, or if you find evidence of asbestos fibers and want to know more about how to ensure safe disposal. • Need advice on how to properly dispose of household hazardous wastes such as bleaches, cleaners, paints or oils. • Need assistance with the inspection or replacement of septic systems.

Find more information: • Asbestos: http://ordeq.org/asbestos • Household hazardous waste: http://ordeq.org/hhw • Septic systems: http://ordeq.org/septic

DEQ Asbestos and Solid Waste Contact • Asbestos: 503-378-5086 or 800-349-7677 • Solid Waste: 541-686-7868

Utilities – NW Natural and Pacific Power are reporting sporadic outages but services have been restored to many areas.

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Current Evacuations:
All evacuation levels have been removed.

CAUTIONARY RE-ENTRY INFORMATION: • It is always advisable to do a safety check of your home and property when you return. • You may experience some intermittent power disruption over the next few days. • Continue to monitor local media sources, county website and your telephone devices to receive further information and updates. • If you need assistance with transportation to return to your home call the Call Center – 541-265-0621

ANY COMMUNITY MEMBER who experienced fire or wind damage to their home, business, outbuildings, or vehicles are encouraged to complete the online damage assessment process to report their damages.

The more information, local government can capture, about our damaging event the week of the 7th, the more advocacy local government can apply for financial assistance from FEMA and Small Business Administration (SBA) for our recovery.

We encourage any property owner or renter who experienced damage to ALSO fill out the online FEMA financial assistance application – even if you have insurance. You may qualify for some assistance.

Another option for business owners and property owners is to apply through the SBA for low interest loans for their recovery efforts.

We understand that the information being presented to you is overwhelming and can be confusing; we have provided the most useful documents related to applying to FEMA/SBA in this email and on our website.

LOCAL LINCOLN COUNTY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT SURVEY: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/62a4c41e1afd4ea785623f43c120adf4

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Road Closures/Limited Access/Detours: http://www.tripcheck.com • There are no road closures

Road Updates:
• State Highways, http://www.tripcheck.org or 511 • County Roads – check the county website – we will post the information to this update report. • Special District – currently special road districts do not have a centralized way to report their closures – Lincoln County will post information as they receive it.
Shelters and Warming Centers: The American Red Cross (ARC) has transitioned sheltering to hotel placement. There is an ARC Assistance Center in Lincoln City for those affected by the wind and fire event.

Red Cross Evacuation Assistance Center Lincoln City Community Center 2150 NE Oar Place Lincoln City OR 97367 541-921-3049

Pets • Animal Shelter can help with all animal questions. 541-265-6610 extension 6 • Animal Shelter staff are in the evacuated areas dropping food and water and picking up injured animals. • Barnyard Animals – Livestock County Commons – 633 NE 3rd St, Newport, OR 97365 o The Lincoln Commons is available 24/hours with pens, buckets, water and hay for livestock. o Users of the facility must be prepared to care for their animals. o Users must register and check in with a volunteer during the day and during their stay at the Commons. • Companion Animal Supplies – Dogs, Cats and Pets o If you have evacuated with companion pets and need supplies. There are companion animal supplies available at Animal Shelters entrance at 510 NE Harney street. • For connections to livestock resources, you may post at the Facebook Group PNW Animal Natural Disaster/Fire Evacuation Resource Group or call the Animal Shelter and we will post for you. https://www.co.lincoln.or.us/sheriff/page/planning-your-pets
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Donations and Volunteers

If you do have donations or want to volunteer, please visit https://oregonrecovers.communityos.org/

Existing donations can be taken to the Donation Reception Center. Lincoln County Fairgrounds, 633 NE 3rd St, Newport, OR 97365 Open Monday-Friday 12pm-7pm and Saturday-Sunday 9am-6pm. Donations from this site will be relocated to the Donation Distribution Center in Lincoln City for those affected by local wildfires.

Weather Updates: The National Weather Service is the best resource to receive up to date information on current or forecasted weather conditions: https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/wwaatmget.php?x=ORC041

Watches, Warnings or Advisories for Lincoln (ORC041) Oregon Last updated: 18:44 GMT on 09-23-2020

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories Download the FEMA mobile app for weather alerts: https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app.

Power Updates: The most up-to-date information is available directly through your power service provider.

Power Company Website Phone Central Lincoln PUD https://clpud.org/ 877-265-3211 Consumer Power https://www.cpi.coop/ 541-929-3124 Pacific Power https://www.pacificpower.net/ 888-221-7070

Health and Medical Resources: If you have a non-emergency medical supply need (meds, oxygen, supplies) contact your primary care provider/supplier first. If they cannot assist you contact the Lincoln County Public Information Call Center at 541-265-0616. If this is a medical emergency call 911.

Air Quality: There is not a local air monitoring station in Lincoln County. If visibility is under a mile, then air quality is very unhealthy or hazardous. If smoke prevents you from seeing more than
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three miles in any direction, air quality is poor. This means you may want to stay indoors or take other precautions.

• Weather and smoke levels can vary dramatically during wildfires. This can vary not only daily, but also hourly. Smoke may also affect one part of a community but not another. This can make it difficult to provide you specific health warnings, especially when conditions change quickly. • Some people may experience health effects even when the air is unhealthy for a short time. It is important to take precautions based on your individual health and the smoke levels around you. This may mean staying indoors when air quality is poor. It may also mean not exercising during these conditions. • If air quality remains poor–generally, for more than one day–then the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the health agency can issue a health advisory. Refer to the Oregon Smoke Blog http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com or local media for updates. • Smoke levels change over the course of a day, sometimes dramatically so. Air quality may be unhealthy for an hour or two at night but may be good the next morning. You should also rely on visibility (how far you can see during wildfires) to decide what precautions you may want to take. • Limit your exposure to wildfire smoke. • Reduce time spent outdoors. • Reduce time you negate in vigorous outdoor activity • Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water. • Reduce other sources of indoor smoke and dust. • Check current air quality conditions – http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/ • If you have heart or lung or respiratory illnesses such as asthma, follow your health care provider’s advice about prevention and treatment of symptoms.

Food and Water Resources: • If you are experiencing a long-term power outage be mindful of food safety issues, refrigerator and freezer temperatures. • If you are returning home after a long-term power outage (more than 2 days) you need a way to verify if the items in your refrigerator/freezer maintained appropriate temperatures before cooking/eating them. Frozen foods at or below 0°F and refrigerators at or below 40°F to be considered safe.

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How can I get updated information from Lincoln County:
Lincoln Alerts Sign up or update your information with Lincoln Alerts – www.co.lincoln.or.us/alerts By Telephone Information Call Center: 541-265-0616 Facebook Lincoln County Emergency Management – @lcemergencymanagement Website http://www.co.lincoln.or.us/echomountainfire Media Partners We regularly send updated information to our local media partners – digital, print, radio. Sheriff Media Releases shared via https://www.flashalert.net/id/LCSO
Road Closures:
• State Highways, http://www.tripcheck.org or 511 • County Roads – check the county website – we will post the information to this update report. • Special District – currently special road districts do not have a centralized way to report their closures – Lincoln County will post information as they receive it.

The Red Cross has mobilized a massive relief effort across Oregon, Washington and California and is working 24/7 to ensure that people have a safe place to stay, along with food and comfort during this time of uncertainty.
In Southwest Oregon the American Red Cross has been working with partners, emergency management and local officials to meet the needs of our community. As of 9/21, the American Red Cross has provided the following:

Hosted more than 15,000 Overnight stays in shelters and hotel rooms.
Served over 77,000 meals and snacks
Provided 1500 individual care contacts to help people with medical or disability needs,

Since the wildfires began in Oregon, along with our partners the ARC has provided as of 9/21/20
33,000 overnight stays providing people with safe refuge from the wildfires in emergency lodgings, including shelters and, in most cases, hotels. While some people choose to stay in RVs or tents, this has not changed our willingness to help. Anyone who has been affected by the fires is welcome to stop by a shelter to get a hot meal or access other support.
More than 550 Red Cross disaster workers are helping evacuees cope, both on the ground and virtually. Some of these dedicated Red Crossers are volunteers who have been evacuated and are coping with the uncertainty of whether they will have a home to return to.
With the help of partners, served more than 139,000 meals and snacks
Distributed nearly 4700 relief items (Comfort, Clean up and Wildfire kits).
Volunteers have also provided more than 4100 individual care contacts to help people with medical or disability needs or provide emotional and spiritual support during these challenging times. This includes replacing prescription medications, eyeglasses or other medical equipment.
Red Cross Integrated Care Condolence Teams are helping to coordinate services and provide support to families whose loved ones are missing, injured or deceased across Oregon, Washington and California.

The Red Cross is working closely with FEMA, Emergency Management, local nonprofit and faith-based partners, to create plans and coordinate recovery services to ensure people get the assistance that they need to get back on their feet. In many areas, one-on-one connections are being made with people still in emergency lodgings to help plan for their next steps. The Red Cross has utilized the breadth and depth of its resources to nearly triple the local number of personnel less than a week from the initial fire, including bilingual personnel that are part of the Latino Engagement Team, to ensure we are serving all those in need.

Due to the wildfires more than 115 blood drives have been cancelled in Oregon and Washington, resulting in over 2,500 uncollected blood and platelet donations. Eligible individuals in parts of the country unaffected by these wildfires are needed to give blood or platelets to help ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients in need. Individuals can schedule an appointment to donate by using the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED CROSS. Please help if you can and donate blood today.

LINCOLN CITY — Beginning on Monday, September 21st, the Driftwood Public Library will offer computer time by appointment to members of the public. Initially this was planned to coincide with Phase 2 reopening, but with the large number of people displaced by the Echo Mountain fire, the library and the City of Lincoln City have agreed to accelerate the building’s reopening to meet local residents’ technology needs. The library will begin scheduling appointments on Monday, the 21st at 10 AM. Appointments can be made by calling the library front desk at 541-996-2277.

Computers are available Monday – Friday for 45 minute sessions from 10 AM – 4 PM (with the last appointments at 3 PM). There are two appointments available per time slot, and time slots will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. You are encouraged to come alone, in order to keep the number of people in the library at a minimum. However, if necessary, you may bring a family member or other person with you to provide computer assistance. We encourage you to leave minor children at home. You and anyone who comes with you are required to wear a face covering and will undergo a temperature check and COVID-19 screen prior to entering the library.

Due to physical distancing requirements, library staff are not able to provide in-person assistance at the computers, but our reference librarian will be available by phone. Black and white printing and photocopying is available, and each patron may print up to ten pages at no charge. Additional pages are 10 cents per page.

The library shelves and seating areas are still closed, and the library’s curbside services will continue for anyone who wishes to check out items.

Public wifi is also available outside the library building seven days a week from 7 AM – 9 PM, and a limited number of cellular wifi hotspots are available for checkout through the library. Driftwood Public Library is located on the second floor of the City Hall building at 801 SW Highway 101, across the street from Burger King and adjacent to McKay’s Market.

3:00 pm – LCSO – Echo Mtn Downgrade of Evacuation Levels

This is a notice from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office regarding the removal of the Level 3 evacuation area.

Oregon Department of Forestry, North Lincoln Fire & Rescue and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office have removed the Level 3 evacuation to allow property owners and residents to return to the area permanently.

The initial damage assessment has been completed. Road and utility safety concerns have been mitigated, though utility services will be working in the area for several more days. Be aware that utility outages may occur for several more days as water, gas and power repairs continue.

A multi-agency resource center offering county community services will begin tomorrow. Watch local news sources, website, and Lincoln Alerts for more information in the next few hours. If you need transportation to return home, please contact the call center.

Any additional questions can be forwarded to the Lincoln County Emergency Public Information Call Center at 541-265-0621, http://www.co.lincoln.or.us/echomountainfire.

 

 

ANY COMMUNITY MEMBER who experienced fire or wind damage to their home, business, outbuildings, or vehicles are encouraged to complete the Lincoln County online damage assessment process to report their damages.
The more information, local government can capture, about our damaging event the week of the 7th, the more advocacy local government can apply for financial assistance from FEMA and Small Business Administration (SBA) for our recovery.
We encourage any property owner or renter who experienced damage to ALSO fill out the online FEMA financial assistance application – even if you have insurance. You may qualify for some assistance but you must apply to receive any assistance.
Another option for business owners and property owners is to apply through the SBA for low interest loans for their recovery efforts.
We understand that the information being presented to you is overwhelming and can be confusing; we have provided the most useful documents related to applying to FEMA/SBA in this email and on our website.
Please watch for an update on a MULTI AGENCY RESOURCE CENTER or MARC – that will be available to any individual or business affected by either the Fire or the Wind event that occurred the week of the 7th. There will be 20+ agencies available to provide information, resources and/or answer questions. We are finalizing the dates, times, locations and available resources this morning and will distribute that communication early afternoon today. You will be able to come to this MARC location to fill out the on-line FEMA and SBA application forms.

LOCAL LINCOLN COUNTY DAMAGE ASSESSMENT SURVEY: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/62a4c41e1afd4ea785623f43c120adf4

FEMA Financial Assistance Application: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
– Select the Get Assistance on the top menu, then select Apply Online

Small Business Administration Application: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/Index
– Click on Apply for a Disaster Loan

Call Center Assistance: 541-265-0621
– They can walk you through the Lincoln County online damage assessment process and enter your information for you.
– The Call Center can not apply for FEMA or SBA assistance on your behalf due to the confidential information required. However, resources will be available at the Multi Agency Resource Center on Tuesday 9/22– Wednesday 9/23 – Thursday 9/24 of this week where you can fill out the on-line forms. Hardcopy forms can be made available that you can mail in as well.