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Oregon Department of Forestry
This is a woodland scene in western Oregon

Winter Storm 2007 - Photo Gallery
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1. Bird's eye view of the blown-down timber on the crest of a hill overlooking Astoria. Photo taken from an ODF-contracted helicopter. 2. ODF forester Ashley Lertora answers questions from a landowner about recovering downed timber from a rugged hillside south of Astoria 3. More than 15,000 acres in Clatsop and Tillamook counties reported damaged timber, including up to 100 million board feet of debris not destined for markets 4. Trees also ended up in streams, such as Wrong Way Creek in Clatsop County. Fallen timber that does not pose a safety risk by blocking streams creates an opportunity to help the stream's ecosystem.
5. Roads and bridges also sustained damage. At the convergence of the Nehalem and Salmonberry Rivers, a road bridge and railroad line received significant damage. 6. Soon after the winds subsided, ODF staff went to the field to begin the task of documenting damage and detecting areas which posed a safety risk to the public. 7. A disturbing but common sight - an entire tree falls, exposing its root system. While creating a hazard, the tree coming down intact increases the ability to salvage the wood. 8. One of the most visible events following the storm was the debris flow near Woodson, which closed U.S. Highway 30 for several days. A concerned landowner contacted ODF several days before the slide, and an ODF geotechnical specialist advised an evacuation of the area. ODOT crews closed the highway 90 minutes before the destructive slide occurred. There were no injuries.
9. Cities were not immune from fallen trees, including many historic trees in Astoria 10. A forest turns to toothpicks. U.S. Highway 26 near Mail Creek in Clatsop County. 11. Trees succumbed to wind gusts ranging from 60 mph inland to a maximum peak gust of 129 mph at Bay City. Here, at Green Mountain in the Clatsop State Forest, a single tall trees collapsed exposing root structures while leaving trees a few feet away unharmed. 12. Instead of trees being blown down intact, wind gusts would shear off the top of a large tree which would then create a 'scissor' effect, slicing the tops of healthy trees which lay in the airborne tree's path.

Page updated: January 24, 2008