Record setting cold; Fight or Flight; Rhody Court Changes
9 December 2013
Yes… it’s cold…
Record breaking cold temperatures settled over the region over the weekend, bringing some of the lowest temperatures seen ever in early December.
Official low temperatures recorded in the Florence area were at 21 degrees early Sunday morning and daytime temperatures didn’t get too far above freezing Saturday or Sunday.
The cold, coupled with precipitation Friday, caused travel problems all over the region. Interstate 5 was a mess; Highway 126 east of Mapleton was restricted to one lane of travel much of the morning… then closed completely for several hours at midday as crews worked to right a tractor-trailer rig that had slid off the highway.
Sunday’s low temperature of ten-below recorded at the Eugene Airport was two degrees warmer than the all-time low set in 1972.
Forecasters say things should start warming up in earnest today… beginning along the coast… today’s highs are expected to reach 38 and the overnight low is forecast at 32… but there could be some precipitation later this afternoon and this evening… and that could fall in the form of snow.
Record Setting Cold
You thought it was cold here over the weekend? It turns out the Florence area was one of the warmer locations in the state.
Meteorologist Steve Pierce said the coldest recorded temperature in the state Saturday was 41-below at Horse Ridge on U.S. Highway 20 in Eastern Oregon. Nearby Christmas Valley was 39-below and Lapine was 32-below.
West of the Cascades… Eugene was ten below; Salem was nine above and Portland was at 12 degrees.
The coldest temperature along the coast… Astoria at 13 degrees.
Of the nearly 750 weather stations in Oregon reporting yesterday morning, Pierce said more than 400 of them were below zero… 74 of those were 20-degrees below zero or colder.
Fight or Flight…
We’ve all heard about how the human body and mind responds to crisis situations. It’s the “fight or flight” reaction… the adrenaline pumps into your blood stream; the blood flows away from the brain and to the limbs where they’ll provide plenty of oxygen to the muscles that will either carry you away from danger… or help you deal with it directly.
Battalion Chief John Carnahan with Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue says if that situation involves heavy smoke and a wall of flames… the latter response is the best one.
John Carnahan – “Please leave the building. Don’t go back in. Don’t even make a 911 call from in the building. Leave the building.”
Thursday morning a Florence woman chose the former… Jessica Hoberg awoke to find her house filled with smoke and her response to the flames was to try to fight it.
John Carnahan – “In a heavy smoke environment, active flames, lots of flames; she was not equipped or prepared to deal with that problem.”
Carnahan said that could have cost Hoberg her life. Her efforts did not slow the fire in the least and only caused her injury. She was treated and released at Peace Harbor Medical Center Thursday.
Rhody Guys…
For the first time ever, young men will be competing as Rhododendron Festival Royalty. A committee of the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce has come up with some changes to the royalty court for the coming year. There’ll be no Queen’s coronation pageant… but there will be a “showcase” of sorts featuring the court of five girls and five boys.
The annual festival is set for the third full weekend in May; the 16th, 17th, and 18th. The theme “Rhody-Oh” was selected from entries received last month.
