Storm Damage in Wash. & Oregon Still Unknown

The extent of insured losses from a winter storm that hit Washington State and Oregon early this week is still being assessed as flood waters recede from the affected areas, insurance professionals said.

The weather event that hit the two states on Dec. 1 brought flooding and winds of hurricane strength to four counties in Washington and an emergency declaration for the entire state of Oregon.

According to the two states' Emergency Management Offices the storms have claimed five lives and left many homeless.

The Jersey City, N.J.-based Insurance Services Office Inc.'s Property Claim Services assistant vice president Gary Kerney said in an e-mail, "PCS assigned a catastrophe serial number to the damage associated with the severe weather that affected Washington and Oregon from Dec. 2-4. PCS identified the perils as wind and flooding. No estimate yet."

A spokeswoman for the North Washington Insurance Council, which covers both Washington state and Oregon, said that it is too early to know the number of claims or estimate insured losses.

Four counties were hit particularly hard in Washington. They were Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum.

In Oregon, where Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski put the entire state under a state of emergency, the counties of Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Tillamook and Yamhill took the brunt of the damage, largely flooding in both states.

All the named counties are close to or beside the Pacific Coast.

Oregon officials said 58,000 were still without power and 466 people were still in shelters as of yesterday morning. The state's emergency management said local officials reported at least 160 homes damaged. At least 50 in Bay City were said to need new roofs.