February 2021. January 2024. Portland silver thaws and ice storms produce extended power outages, falling trees, and burst pipes across thousands of homes simultaneously. Same-hour Portland dispatch.
Here's what to do — and what not to do — in the next 5 minutes. The window between the loss starting and significant structural damage is short.
Portland ice storm pipe bursts follow patterns specific to PNW silver thaw dynamics and Oregon building codes. Portland ice storms combine ice accumulation (downed power lines, falling trees) with sustained subfreezing temperatures.
February 2021 ice storm left hundreds of thousands of Portland-area PGE customers without power for 5-12 days. Without heat, interior temperatures drop into freezing range, and pipes in exterior walls, attics, and basements that aren't heated burst. Power outage duration is the single biggest determinant of pipe-burst risk.
Older Portland homes (Northwest District, Hawthorne, Sellwood, Mt. Tabor, Laurelhurst, Alameda — 1900s-1950s construction) often have supply lines running through uninsulated exterior wall cavities. These freeze first when interior temperatures drop. Bursts present as wet drywall on exterior walls.
Some newer Portland-area subdivisions (Bethany, Tanasbourne, Orenco, Murrayhill, Bull Mountain, parts of Beaverton and Hillsboro) have attic-mounted plumbing. Attic plumbing freezes more readily and produces ceiling-collapse scenarios when it bursts.
Plumbing through garages, crawl spaces, and unheated areas of older Portland homes freezes during sustained ice storm conditions. These present as basement or first-floor flooding when discovered.
Our IICRC-certified Portland crew arrives with extraction equipment, structural drying gear, attic and crawl access ladders, moisture meters, full PPE. In the first 60 minutes: water extraction from the floor or basement below the burst, attic or crawl access to inspect, moisture mapping, photographic documentation, isolation of the burst area, drying equipment positioning.
Over the next 24-48 hours: extraction of saturated insulation, controlled drying of subfloor and exposed framing, antimicrobial pre-treatment, daily moisture monitoring, demolition removal, contents inventory, coordination with adjuster and your plumber.
We bill your insurance carrier directly so your out-of-pocket cost is typically just your deductible. We work with every major Oregon carrier including PEMCO and Country Financial — and high-net-worth specialty carriers for custom-home losses.
Same-hour dispatch to all of these Portland-area cities. Our crews are local — we know the neighborhoods, the watersheds, the construction patterns, and the carriers.
Yes, in almost all cases. Standard homeowners covers sudden and accidental discharge from plumbing including freeze bursts. Oregon carriers honor these claims regularly. We bill carriers directly under all major OR carriers (State Farm, USAA, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, Travelers, Progressive, Nationwide, PEMCO, Country Financial, Auto-Owners) plus high-net-worth specialty.
Three factors: location of plumbing (attic vs interior wall vs basement), insulation quality, whether you maintained interior heat during the outage. Homes with generators rarely have bursts; homes that lost heat for 2+ days frequently do.
Insulate exterior wall and attic plumbing, drip faucets if outage is expected, maintain interior temperature above 60°F throughout extended outages, consider a portable generator capable of running essential heat circuits, install heat tape on accessible vulnerable plumbing.
Burst sections cut out and replaced. Multiple bursts in one ice storm often justifies full repipe of the affected zone.
Single-burst loss with limited damage: 7-14 days mitigation plus 2-4 weeks reconstruction. Multiple bursts with extensive damage: 3-5 weeks mitigation plus 6-12 weeks reconstruction.
Same-hour IICRC-certified crew dispatch. Direct insurance billing. Free on-site assessment.