Salem City Manager Annette Sola feels the work of city staff and volunteers during the Friday night and early morning severe flooding likely prevented anyone from being injured.
Sola reflected on the situation during a weekend meeting of city and county officials.
“I think the way our community comes together when everybody is needed is amazing,” Sola said. “People who were not involved in emergency personnel also came out and helped. I think that also contributes to the fact that we have no serious injuries. I know that we do have some people who have lost a lot with their homes, and we will do our best to help assess those damages and try to get them into the right hands to get assistance that will be available. Overall, I’m very pleased with how things have been handled. As of this morning it looks like some of the water has receded and things are getting back to somewhat normal. We will be assessing over the next several days.”
City staff worked hand in hand with Salem Fire and Police and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department on several rescue situations. Several towing companies assisted a number of motorists who got trapped in flood waters in Death Valley on West Main Street.
