PORTLAND, Ore. — Neighborhoods across Portland continue to repair damage after the winter storms a couple weeks ago.
In Southeast Portland, the Sellwood Community Center had burst pipes, leading to flooding across the 12,000-square-foot building, said Ashley Murray, the executive director of the center.
Just weeks before the storm, the building was remodeled. Now, staff is working to get the building restored after it had to be gutted, with walls, flooring and parts of the ceiling removed due to the damage.
"It's been really hard; it's been really humbling," Murray said.
For more than a century, Sellwood Community Center has served as a preschool and after-school facility. It is also used as a place for seniors to gather.
"We had people come in who came to preschool here 80 years ago," Murray said.
Sellwood Community Center anticipates reopening this summer.
Recovery efforts are ongoing across the Portland metro area. Portland Parks and Recreation staff are clearing debris at Mount Tabor; however, there is still no timeline for when the park will reopen to the public.
The city is in the midst of gathering data and totaling up the cost of repairs. Meanwhile, neighborhoods in Lake Oswego are also trying to clear debris as quickly as possible.
"There's trees down everywhere," said Dave Harkin, a Lake Oswego resident.
On the street Harkin resides, trees crashed into neighbors' homes and toppled over roads.
"While we were prepared for some things, we weren't prepared for all of the things that happened,” Harkin said. “The trees were the biggest part."
Harkin's neighbor, Ken Pedersen said, "It looked like a tornado went down this street, quite honestly."
After a tree fell from his yard, Pedersen is dealing with broken water lines and a tree stump — that contractor's told him it could take months to remove — if he did not want to pay the high price now.
Even a week after the ice has thawed, anxiety in the neighborhood remains high.
"Every time I hear a snap or see a breeze," Harkin said. "I'm a little bit thrown off by it."