When the Snow Melts...

7/5/2019 (Permalink)

Most Portlandian’s will remember the snowstorm in December of 2008. We had nearly a foot of snow that wreaked havoc on our lives for days. Tri-Met shut down two-thirds of their bus lines while hundreds of flights were cancelled. The storm left thousands of people stranded and stuck in place while thousands of others attempted to traverse through the snow but failed. The storm even cost the city over $2 million on related services. Everyone has a story from the large, wild, and unexpected 2008 snowstorm.

The snowstorm in December of 2008 is not even in the top 10 for largest snowstorms to hit the Portland area in recorded history. In 1884 Portland experienced its snowiest December with over 31 inches of snow. Nearly three times the amount of snowfall hit the metropolitan area and surely closed everything down. If we were to suffer record breaking snow again, the damage associated with it is unfathomable.

With this much ice on the ground and a sharp decrease in temperature any small cracks inside of pipes can easily be infiltrated and expanded to the point that they break. Burst pipes aren’t the only fear when a storm such as this hits. What happens to all the water once it melts? Several feet of snow surrounding your home has to go somewhere once it melts. Without proper weathering and flood protection your home could be susceptible to a flood as the result of melting snow. During the event of a major snowstorm SERVPRO of Southeast Portland has a network of Storm Responders that are “Faster to any size disaster” that are dedicating to serving you in your moment of need.