Otter declares emergency in Washington County after 100 buildings collapse under snow load

Gov. Butch Otter today declared a state of emergency in Washington County due to massive snowfall, which has caved in roughly 100 buildings in the county, including Weiser’s only grocery store. “There is risk to life, property and public infrastructure as a result of extraordinary snowfall and snow loads on public and private buildings,” Otter said in his official proclamation, which clears the way for disaster aid.

The Idaho Press-Tribune reported that Otter said his decision came after he attended a town hall meeting Sunday night in Weiser. “The snow was stacked so high there were only two lanes in a four lane road,” Otter said. “Declaring the disaster will allow the county to move forward and state to assist with resources.” Press-Tribune reporter Ruth Brown reports that the declaration clears the way for $65,000 in funding for snow removal, with the first priority providing access to roads to hospitals and fire departments, second to government buildings and homes where elderly people live, and third, clearing streets in residential areas. You can read her full report here .

According to the Idaho Office of Emergency Management, there have been “widespread roof collapses in the communities of Weiser, Midvale and Cambridge.” Otter said, “The sheer volume of snow and the number of roof collapses is something that would test the limits of any Idaho community.”