The Eugene Public Works Department says it may take weeks to recover from extensive damage caused by last week's ice storm, and this weekend's heavy rain isn't helping. Carrie Peterson is a Spokeswoman for the Public Works Department. She says the heavy rain is over-saturating the soil and causing already weakened trees to uproot entirely.
Petterson: "So the areas we once had cleared for the roadways and bike paths are now having trees fall on them again."
The rising costs of winter weather are also becoming a concern. Peterson says they used their emergency funds during December. She says last week's storm is estimated to have cost more than one hundred and forty thousand dollars
Peterson: "Damage to the urban forest is so extensive; we are looking at several weeks to months of recovery time that's just going to keep bringing that number up."
Peterson says several parks will remain closed over the weekend including University and parts of Hendricks and Amazon. Crews are focusing on areas and roads with overhead hazards.