Washtucna man dies cleaning up storm debris

WASHTUCNA - A local man was killed while attempting to remove a downed tree from his property June 1.

A 28-year veteran of the local volunteer fire department, Garth Blauert, 58, was cleaning up debris from the May 30 storm that crossed Eastern Washington bringing torrential downpours and high winds.

According to the Adams County Sheriff's Office, the accident took place in the 1800 block of east state Highway 26 around 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 1.

Sheriff's deputies responded and assisted emergency medical services performing CPR.

Blauert was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the dispatch log.

Sheriff Dale Wagner said the investigation was ongoing because of findings of the autopsy, but nothing criminal took place.

A parade Saturday, June 6, honoring Blauert drew fire trucks and emergency responders from around the area, and a helicopter from Life Flight flew over. Blauert's son, Garrett Blauert, was presented with his father's fire fighter helmet.

Storm Damage

Meanwhile, the city continued cleanup of storm debris.

No one was injured during the actual storm, which wreaked havoc across the area with high winds taking down many old-growth trees and localized flooding in town.

Mayor Brian Hille used the city Bobcat and grappler to clear roads most of Sunday.

City staff and community volunteers, using a chipper borrowed from the city of Connell, chipped branches hauled in by town residents.

Hille said winds of 71 mph were recorded in town before the power went out May 30, and one and a half to two inches of rain fell in ten minutes.

Wind blew the glass out of at least two buildings downtown - the old R.H. Bassett Howe Co. building and the old post office, both on Main Street.

Byron and Karyn Allen's home, nine miles north of town on Sutton Road, was among the hardest-hit residences.

Winds they estimated to be at 80 mph "shook the whole house," Byron Allen said, noting pea-sized hail fell.

The wind picked up and moved the chicken coop with the birds inside, he said.

"They laid eggs the next day, though," Allen said, adding a big locust tree and evergreen were also taken down by the winds.

Hille said the mud, water and debris flowing off the hill and into town caused a lake in his yard and filled his basement full of mud.

He said although he has flood insurance on his home, the company told him they would not honor the claim.

City Insured

The town is in better hands insurance-wise.

"They've already opened a claim, but haven't given us any kind of a budget," Hille said. "So, I haven't brought in any help, so far as clean up goes." Residents were digging in and working hard to clean up their town, and county workers brought in a road grader and a couple loads of gravel.

Avista worker Scott Pena said he and Martin Garcia and Rueben Flores worked a 29-hour shift to get power back on to all 200 Washtucna-area residents, with several five-man crews brought in from other areas.

"We lost seven transmission poles between Lind and Washtucna, and another one in Ritzville," Pena said. A total of 1,105 Avista customers were without power throughout the region.

Big Bend Electric had two dozen poles down, with 12 of those on Rosenoff Road in Ritzville.

"We had power back on for our customers within 24 hours. We were pretty proud of that time frame," Avista spokeswoman Kelly Haugh said. "We had a combination of crews out for 40-45 hours, plus mop up beyond that into Monday."