PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A powerline that struck an occupied car Thursday night in Troutdale is just one example of the freezing rain making a mess of local roads and causing outages — particularly in East Multnomah County — just as parts of the greater Portland area were starting to thaw out.

The Gresham Fire Department has confirmed to KOIN 6 news that a power line did indeed fall on a car with people inside it near S Troutdale Rd and SE Stark St. before 7 p.m. The power line was de-energized by Portland General Electric and no one was injured as the occupants of the vehicle remained inside of it when the line was active. That intersection is now closed, Multnomah County officials said.

However, that is but one of many problem areas that can be seen as a result of icy roads and freezing temperatures. In fact, so much of Oregon has been negatively impacted by inclement weather that Governor Tina Kotek has declared a state of emergency.

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“This is definitely one of the powerful storms which has impacted all areas of our service territory in Oregon,” Pacific Power spokesperson Pampi Chowdhury said.

Trees weighed down with ice blew in the high winds along NE Halsey between Wood Village and Fairview. KOIN 6 cameras caught multiple transformers in the east county going out, sending flashes of blue into the night sky. Streetlights were left flickering and flashing while downed lines knocked out power for thousands. All of it caused further work for crews working around the clock.

“The icy conditions, accumulation of ice and snow, that’s becoming a major challenge and making it even more complicated for the crews to continue with their restoration work,” Chowdhury said.

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Meanwhile, on the roads, conditions quickly went from wet and rainy back to icy on Thursday evening, making things slick for drivers. Though I-84 east of Troutdale opened with chain restrictions, the freeway saw delays up to three hours through the Gorge.

“One of the trouble spots we’re seeing is due to people hitting those chain-required areas and then just stopping in the lane of travel or only just pulling off on the shoulder to chain up,” said Mindy McCartt, with Oregon Dept. of Transportation.

Along the I-84 NW Frontage Rd in Troutdale, the endless rows of semi-trucks from Tuesday and Wednesday were significantly reduced but many still pulled over for the night to avoid treacherous travel. ODOT officials say crews are doing everything they can to keep the highways safe for drivers.

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“They live in these communities too so they’re out there hopefully keeping these roads clear for travelers, especially the necessary travelers,” McCartt said.

Many government offices, schools and area businesses are already closing ahead of Friday because the conditions aren’t letting up or safe for travel. Officials continue to urge everyone to stay home if they are able and if they do get out, to take things slow.

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