PENDLETON — Gusts of wind exceeding 50 mph across Umatilla and Morrow counties overnight damaged power lines, rolled a semitrailer, closed Interstate 84 and Highway 204 and left at least 900 people without power, according to public safety officials.

The interstate has reopened and power for many people has been restored, officials said on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

But “several dozen” people scattered across the region remained without power as of the morning of Nov. 9, according to Steve Meyers, member services administrator for the Umatilla Electric Cooperative. Meyers added that “all available crews” are out trying to bring power back online.

“That’s a strong wind storm,” Meyers said.

Meyers said the outages occurred from UEC’s substations in Pendleton and Weston up into the Blue Mountains.

UEC’s substation in Mission, which serves at least 200 people, lost power from 11:19 p.m. to 3:07 a.m., Meyers said. Its substation in Weston, which serves at least 700 people, lost power when a tree struck a power line around 1 a.m. Crews restored the power for many residents there just after 9 a.m.

Crews were still responding to the remaining outages during the afternoon. Meyers said some roads are covered with debris and fallen trees. He asked that people without power be patient as crews respond “as quick and safely as possible.”

Tom Strandberg, spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said most of I-84 from Baker City to Pendleton experienced closures amid the wind storm. Highway 204 toward Tollgate also closed from around 5 a.m. and reopened around 7 a.m., Strandberg said.

The first reports of a closure came in from law enforcement around 11:52 p.m. on Nov. 8, after a semitrailer rolled over along the interstate near milepost 221, Strandberg said.

Strandberg said he received reports around 5 a.m. that the east and westbound lanes of I-84 from Pendleton to Baker City closed from early in the morning until around 8 a.m., but he said closures probably occurred even earlier.

The National Weather Service in Pendleton posted on the morning of Nov. 9 an unofficial region-wide assessment measuring the overnight winds. The chart, which can be found on the office’s Facebook page, showed the largest gusts came in Heppner, at 71 mph and Pendleton at 66.

Walla Walla, Helix, Mission and Milton-Freewater all reported winds exceeding 50 mph, according to the chart.