Resident Evacuation Experiences, Part 2

The following are first person write-ups submitted by residents. Others will be added as they arrive, and new “articles” will be added as the threads become too long. The pieces are unedited except for disguise of the names of people who have not given their permission to be identified. Ed.

Content: (scroll down)

Evacuation!

By Anonymous1

On Tuesday morning, September 8, 2020,

I became aware of the combination of gusting winds and fire along Bear Creek in the cities of Talent and Phoenix area just south of Rogue Valley Manor where I live. I was watching a news feed from the camera on top of the Manor and listening to the accompanying audio of emergency teams responding to the flames.

I telephoned a friend who lives on the other side of our Manor property only to find she had just lost power. As we were speaking, someone knocked on her door and told her to evacuate immediately. She hung up and I, too, prepared to evacuate.

The first thing I did was to open my garage door so I could get my car out because I still had power.

Next, I used my cell phone camera to take pictures of the interior of my cottage – just in case.

Then I began to collect things I wanted to have with me, including my computer external hard drive, for example.

Just before driving away, I took a photo of the boiling black smoke clouds I could see from my front door.

As per instructions, I drove north on Riverside Avenue (route 99) toward the Jackson County Expo. Traffic was heavier than usual, but not bad. At the north Medford exit, I got onto I-5 headed for Central Point and the Expo and I joined a long line of vehicles and soon found myself at the entrance gate where Red Cross volunteers were handing out water bottles and writing down people’s names. I was directed to park my car and found a space in front of the main staging area between the two buildings that would eventually serve as the food distribution building and the overnight sleeping accommodation building. Red Cross volunteers were setting up to assist.

Manor residents kept arriving and the parking lot continued to fill. Not long after I arrived, the lady in charge of the loud speaker announcements advised Manor residents to go to the Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford where they would be sheltered during the evacuation. I thought about leaving but decided against it for several reasons. Since I already planned to spend the night in my car to avoid being exposed to anyone shedding the Covid-19 virus, I figured I might as well stay where I was. And, I worried that the country club might be conducive to partying, something I wasn’t in the mood to do. As I looked around the Expo, all I could see were barren parking lots, practically no buildings, trees or shrubs that could burn anywhere nearby. If a change in wind conditions were to send the flames north, I felt safer there than in Medford.

Quite a few Manor residents left after the announcement to redeploy to Medford, but I stayed. The parking lot was only partially full.

As the afternoon wore on, the announcement lady said that pizzas for dinner arrived, donated by I think, by Costco. Since I wasn’t hungry and wanted to avoid crowds, I didn’t partake. After all, we were still dealing with the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

To be honest, my main concern was to have rest room facilities nearby and they were – clean and well stocked with TP and paper towels. I decided to stay and made myself comfortable in my vehicle prepared to spend the night.

Upon waking up on Wednesday morning,

I noticed the dense black smoke from the fires had disappeared and the sky, while not blue, was dull grey to the south. I took this as a sign the fire was under control and called the Manor to see if I could return home. Happily, the operator answered which gave me hope, but I was told the Manor was still under level 3, evacuation. (I interpreted it as the Manor not being damaged.) Around noon, as they were announcing lunch arriving, they also announced that Manor residents were free to return home. At this point, the parking lot was about at 10% capacity. I started up my car and left.

Driving south along the I-5 toward the south Medford exit, I saw no indication of fire. No burned foliage, no burned buildings. This was true even as I pulled into my garage. Without having any news, I assumed the fire burned along Bear Creek and was stopped prior to reaching the Medford boundary.

In fact, the fire was stopped prior to reaching Medford but the towns of Talent and most of Phoenix were consumed by the fire. The destruction and devastation was heartbreaking. Some areas were still smoldering days later. Even sadder was learning that dozens of Manor employees lost their homes.

Four things I learned:

The reason it was impossible to get minute by minute updates was because the people in charge were not willing to pull workers off the line to do so. With fires raging all around, manpower was in short supply. Complete reporting was done only after the fires were under control. Smoldering areas, downed power lines, and ignited damaged gas mains, for example, were dangerous.
Manor employees who lost their homes were given shelter in empty unfurnished Manor units. Manor residents quickly responded donating furniture, household goods and money on their behalf.
Apparently shortly after I drove away from the Expo at noon on Wednesday, sparks ignited new fires in Central Point and the surrounding area putting those at the Expo into level 3 quarantine and opening the Expo to hundreds of new evacuees, quickly filling it to capacity.

This tragic event will provide a blueprint for better handling future catastrophic emergencies.

The Weirdest 24 Hours in my Life So Far! (I’m 80)

by Grace Abbott

Tuesday, September 8^th

dawned like any other “new normal/Covid-19” morning, except that our bright skies were filled with wild, strong swirling winds.

Around 11:00ish we got word that a fire had broken out in Ashland and the winds were making it serious. By 2:00ish we got news that our area of Medford had been put on Level 2 – “Prepare to GO” warning, which made me stay tuned to our Channel 900 – at least until we lost power!

At 4:00ish came a knock on the door – GO NOW! Really? Yipes!

Of course I had not prepared a “Go Bag” – so I ran around gathering things I thought I should have – change of clothes, medications, toiletries, sensible shoes, blanket, computer, cell-phone, precious memorabilia, and loaded it all into the big car. (Happily, ever since the SF earthquake of 1989, I have never let my cars gas tanks get less than ½ full – so I had that much gas to get started.)

Country Club, no – Fairgrounds, no – I decided to go to Grants Pass, about 30 miles north – safely AWAY. I head north on N. Phoenix Road, not wanting to tangle with I-5 until I had filled my gas tank. The first gas station I came to had lines out onto the street – NO. Further along, on Crater Lake Drive, I came to a station where I could at least get in line off the road!

So now, with a full gas tank, I head for I-5, via Central Point (where the signs pointed me). I arrive in Grants Pass about 5:30ish, and pull into the first motel I see, Red Lion Inn. Inside I wait in line while a couple of customers with reservations check in. Then it is my turn: “Any rooms?” NO! “ BUT”, she said, “I’m actually waiting for confirmation of a cancellation, so if you want to wait here for 10 minutes, when it comes through I will give you that room!” (Oh THANK YOU Fates!)

I got a room. I moved in, and promptly wiped down EVERYTHING with my Clorox wipes. Hooked up the computer and began contacting my large dispersed family to let them know where I was and why!

By 7:45 I am ready for some dinner. Luckily, again, Black Bear Diner is one block away! And luckily I slide in minutes before they are to close at 8:00. And luckily, it’s not on the menu, but they DO have wine! Phew! I needed a glass.

At 8:15 who should show up but fellow Medford Refugees and RVM neighbors Ken and Nancy. They were too late for dinner, so we agreed to meet for breakfast the next morning to swap rumors.

Back in my motel room I troll for news on my computer and scroll the TV stations for a while, then try to sleep.

Wednesday morning, September 9^th

I confront my first real dilemma: I FORGOT the CELL-PHONE CHARGER! OOPS! Happily it’s about 75%charged, so I’m good for a while, but that will have to be my first project after breakfast. (Turns out I also forgot hairbrush and comb – but I keep a brush in the car).

At leisurely breakfast with Ken and Nancy we swap stories about whereabouts of scattered friends, and rumors about the state of the fires (RAGING) – growing threats to Shady Cove where other RVMers had stopped.

After breakfast I confirm a reservation to stay another night, and consult with the Red Lion receptionist about where can I buy a cell-phone charger? She and one of the cleaning ladies both try theirs, but the connections don’t work – then the cleaning lady says, let me take your phone back to where I have other possibilities – “I promise not to make any calls” she laughs – OK. And back she comes with a working charger! And gives it to me! Red Lion comes through again.

The next challenge was to try and locate a map of Oregon. I had thrown a bunch of maps in the car, along with my map of Jackson County, but they all turned out to be California! Wrong! I was now in Josephine County, Oregon, and knew nothing about it.

Consulting the Red Lion receptionist again, I asked about AAA? She did not know, but recommended the Visitor Center about 3 blocks away. I was planning to make that my next stop, but back in my room I get notice on my computer that WE CAN RETURN to RVM!

I check out, but keep my reservation for that night in case I have to return. I pack up, follow the signs to I-5 South, and head home. It all goes just fine – normal traffic – except for an unusual flotilla of trucks carrying huge, long, new telephone poles.

When I get home, the air is clear, the skies are bright blue. There is a light breeze. It is very surreal – like, was this all a bad dream??

Alas, no. By evening the smoke has returned. This “adventure” is not over. The fires are not under control. In fact more are breaking out….

Another Experience

By Bonnie de Vos

Tuesday

Yes we were evacuated from RVM on Tuesday, 9/8. It was pretty scary and confusing for a while. The fire started in north Ashland about 11am and roared through Phoenix and Talent destroying much of those communities. The smoke was incredible. On our in-house TV ch. 900, we were told to prepare an overnight bag with meds, etc and the south cottage residents were to go to the plaza. North cottage residents (us) were advised to do the same packing and be on standby. Buses were coming to transport people from the health care areas. (We learned later they were taken to hotels in Grant’s Pass.)Then a short time later, our neighbor who is chair of the disaster committee (which we’re on) knocked on our door and asked us to to alert the neighbors on our street to tell them to evacuate immediately. Then came one of the employees saying to pack for 3 days and just go north. Meanwhile the phone rang with a taped message saying everyone should evacuate immediately. So we grabbed our bags, left a note on the front door that we were out, and drove both cars out to the front parking lot parking Jim’s car there.

Two employees met us and other residents at the exit of our RVM campus & said that people could go to the local country club or the county fairgrounds for overnight or go where ever we could find shelter. This was now about 5:00. We learned that all hotels within 100 miles had been booked by displaced people who evacuated from Ashland and other neighborhoods near there. Meanwhile, the skies were full of roiling smoke and ash. (We decided to grab a quick bite at the local Shari’s Restaurant, appropriately masked and distanced- we don’t go out much in this time of Covid.)

Then we located the Rogue Valley Country Club. The parking lot was packed with cars. We parked off to one side where we could see flames and glowing skies as the sun went down. Inside the main two story building were crammed 440 older people, some in chairs, walkers, & wheelchairs, some resting on the floor. Community volunteers were bringing in bedding, blankets, pillows and floor pads, so kind! Apparently the RVM kitchens had brought in the take out meals that had been already prepared and put them out for folks (which we hadn’t heard about.)

We decided that sleeping in our car was safer, Covid-wise, than being so tightly crowded inside. (So far no residents have contracted the disease- hope it can stay that way!) The tiny bathrooms were not meant for so many seniors, especially when someone had to turn around with a walker or wheelchair!

We spent a long night listening to explosions of propane tanks and other things as the inferno progressed with high winds, knowing that so many people’s homes and businesses were going up in the wild fire.

Wednesday

In the morning, flames were gone but the still thick smoke was left. RVM provided coffee and muffins- people had spread outside to the grounds. We decided to drive the 2 miles back home to RVM. It all looked fine, the fire had gone around to the side. We were told that we shouldn’t stay there yet, the place would still be considered evacuated because the firefighters were still dealing with hot spots. We didn’t want to spend another uncomfortable night in the car, so we made a reservation in Corvallis to visit family there. Our 4 hour drive over there through several counties was also very smoky due to many wildfires in the area. My cell phone’s urgent warning app sounded several times, regarding immediate required evacuations as we drove through what is usually a lovely scenic forest. We understand over a million acres in Oregon are on fire!

The air quality is currently poor, looks like a thick fog, very poor visibility right now. We did have a great visit with the grands. We’ll be heading back home to Medford tomorrow. Hopefully Oregon and California will get some rain soon, as fall is just around the corner.

With all the difficult news going on just now, let’s hope that people will all try to work together better to help instead of hinder.

Evacuation From the Point of View of an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

By Joni Johnson

Tuesday

Save my husband, save my dog, save the people on my street! Not quite sure in what order. I’m the area coordinator for Horizon Lane and am working with three neighborhood coordinators, Barbara DeGroote, Judi Saunders and Sophia Muldur. It is my job to make sure they know what is happening in an emergency so that they can support the ten or so cottages under their purview. The idea is to get everyone taken care of in case of an emergency. So I had to make sure I was getting the information timely and accurately, and then passing it on to my team.

This is what I wrote:

9/8/20 @ 1:28 PM
I just talked with Bob Walden (Resident Incident Coordinator working for the Resident’s Council President, Dan Wagner)who had checked with people in charge and according to them nobody’s worried here. They’ve got water on the hill and they feel that people are aggressively dealing with it in Talent, and so we don’t have anything to worry about. If things change they will get back to us but we should feel calm. But it is wise to get our papers in order. I’m saying that -they’re not.
Joni

2:58 PM
I haven’t heard anything directly. But I just watched Stan give another report on TV at 2:30. Here is the latest news from him there. He is saying that people in the cottages should pack a little overnight bag as a “just in case”. Worst case scenario they will come and pick us up and keep us overnight at the Plaza. So we should have something packed with medicine and something for sleeping etc. I think Horizon is probably pretty safe because we’re not very close to I-5, and we are really close to the Plaza. And they also didn’t send any announcements via the telephone like they did about an hour ago. I don’t know whether we should let any of our residents know or what. We could give them a warning. This is just worst case scenario, but it may be better to have something set up rather than do it at the last minute. What do you think? I haven’t gotten any direction from anyone above us.
Joni

3:09 PM
Just checked with the front desk and they are sending around information on the phone about what we should be doing so we don’t have to really do anything I don’t think. Just relax and possibly pack a bag.
Joni

3:41 PM (Bob Walden asked me to attend a meeting at 3:30 for all Area Coordinators)
It turns out we need to do mandatory evacuation. It needs to be now. If you think there’s anyone that can’t do it they need to call the front desk. They’re going to be sending us to hotel rooms in Grants Pass where we may be able to stay. But we need to get started and contact our people ASAP.

So things moved rather quickly from there. I made sure my people knew and then I got ready. Luckily, I have a to-go bag set up for every little trip I take that has all my makeup and stuff. Same thing with puppy. So it was just an issue of getting Tom ready, and those little incidentals like food for Starr and medication for me. I forgot jewelry, my external hard drive, my Apple watch recharger. But my passport was ready.

There was no way that my husband with his 24/7 oxygen was going to manage at either the Expo or the Country Club, so I got on the phone trying to locate a hotel room that would take dogs. I had called the front desk but it turns out that they didn’t have rooms for us. After 5 tries in Grants Pass, I tried Roseburg and was successful. Terri Lambert, her dog Bailey and the three of us, in two separate cars headed for Roseburg. The air was terrible all the way along the way. Luckily, we had no problems along the road and managed to get into our hotel around 7 pm.

Wednesday

The next morning, Terri and I found a lovely dog park and the dogs had a great time exploring.

Back at the hotel (Sleep Inn, which also housed at least two others from the Manor) we had to decide whether or not to keep the room. There were so many people with animals, some of whom already knew they had lost everything. So rather than take a chance since we had to vacate by eleven, we stayed another night. And making lemonade out of what was an over-abundance of lemons, we left the dogs with Tom and went off to the Wildlife Safari which was only about 15 minutes away. No lines.

It felt so good to finally get home on Thursday. I seemed to be ok until Sunday when we almost had to evacuate again. That is when it all hit home. You really don’t know sometimes how stressed out and vulnerable you really are. Where are those massages when you need them?