By Kristin M. Kraemer and Jeannine Koranda, Herald staff writers
Storms in Oregon knocked out power on the Umatilla Chemical Depot and to more than 11,500 customers from Boardman, Irrigon, Hermiston and around Umatilla.
The depot's incinerator facility also lost its backup generator for about 45 minutes, though there was no indication that any nerve agent escaped, said spokeswoman Mary Binder. The plant was not processing chemical weapons Friday nor were any munitions being transported to the facility from the storage "igloo" bunkers.
The depot also said it received an unconfirmed report of a tornado touching down near the nerve agent storage area, according to a depot news release. The weather tower on the depot recorded wind gusts in excess of 85 mph and sustained wind speed more than 55 mph.
As a precaution, administrative personnel were evacuated from the incinerator building when the generators went down and those remaining in the plants put on their gas masks, the release said.
The depot was relying on power from generators Friday night, Binder said.
The depot near Hermiston is destroying M55 rockets and bombs filled with GB sarin nerve agent. The facility does not move the weapons if there are inclement weather forecasts.