This week’s snowstorm is bound to push estimates of damage to structures and roads in Olympic National Park past the millions estimated earlier, but no one knows just how much more.
Before a deluge of white bent trees across power lines and roads this week, park officials were estimating about $5 million worth of damage had been done from heavy rains and winds earlier in November.
Now the estimate of getting the park back to its pre-November state is a big unknown.
“We literally had trees falling through this whole storm,” said Chief Ranger Tim Simonds.
The first storm early in November washed out roads, particularly on the park’s west side.
Heavy winds during the week of Nov. 13 caused more damage.
“That certainly was not resolved before the snowstorm came along,” park spokeswoman Cat Hawkins Hoffman said Thursday.
She didn’t know how much the latest round of harsh weather would cost.
“I doubt anybody does,” she said.
She said that the snow damage would have to be separated from earlier estimates to determine to figure the cost of the snowstorms.
“Let’s hope there isn’t anything next,” Hawkins Hoffman said.
“We’ve got a lot of catch up to do.”
