PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Flower Market is coping with a shortage of flowers this week, after a semi-truck full of flowers bound for Portland crashed in California Saturday.
“Normally, our coolers are just at this point overflowing with flowers, you rarely see any space at all like this,” explained Angie Lopez.
Lopez is a buyer with Frank Adams Wholesale Florist, one of several wholesalers inside the Portland Flower Market running low on supplies.
Lopez got a call Saturday that the semi full of flowers crashed south of Redding, California. One of the truck drivers died.
Lopez says her heart goes out to the family during this difficult time, and at the same time she’s hard at work, even working together with others at the Portland Flower Market, piecing together flowers from various parts of the country to make up for the lack of flowers.
“Everyone was very understanding, had really kind words for us to get through everything. What can we do? Maybe we take a collection for the driver’s family,” Lopez said. “Then, just keep going. It’s all wheels going at all times. We just have to push forward.”
Lopez says while there was a shortage of flowers Monday and Tuesday, she expects it to be business as usual by Wednesday.