VERNONIA, Ore. -- Violent winds and furious flooding left at least five people dead and hundreds of homes destroyed after the worst winter storm in twelve years pounded the coasts of Oregon and Washington.

Sky 8 photo

Aerial shot of Portland flooding

Governors in both states declared a State of Emergency in the aftermath of the destructive storm. One week later, many rural coastal communities were struggling to recover from the damage.

Timber town hit hard

Among the hardest hit was the tiny timber town of Vernonia, Oregon. More than 200 homes were destroyed by flooding in a town of barely 2,000 residents. Another 400 homes were damaged, and many residents were without heat, power or phones for several days. Even after power was restored, clean drinking water remained a problem. Vernonia residents told KGW that the floodwaters exceeded those of the last major storm, which hit the area in February1996.

Full story: High water floods Vernonia

Also: Subfreezing temps for flood victims

Video: Vernonia flooding

Slideshow: Gov. Kulongoski tours Vernonia

Storm damage spread across two states

A week after floodwaters turned roads and highways into lakes and made kayaks the transportation mode of choice in some areas, coastal and farming communities were still digging out of the chaos.

In Columbia County, 355 homes and 42 businesses were damaged. The damage total was estimated at $24.5 million.

KGW photo

What's left of the Sitka Spruce

Elsewhere, an Oregon icon was dealt a deadly blow. The largest Sitka spruce in the nation, located on the road to Seaside, was toppled by the winter windstorm.

Details: Tree severely damaged

Video: Damaged landmark

In Washington State, the primary business connection between the region's two largest cities was shut down for nearly a week when floodwaters submerged Interstate 5 under ten feet of water near the town of Chehalis, Washington.

Photo courtesy: Gregg A. Pohll

A kayaker makes his way along the flooded interstate.

Truckers, who use I-5 as their primary route between Portland and Seattle, were forced to take alternate routes for days while Department of Transportation officials worked to lower the floodwaters and assess damage to the interstate. A one-mile section of the road was submerged and more than 100 feet of pavement was reportedly damaged by the flooding. One lane reopened to trucks and commercial traffic Thursday evening, with full operations expected by the weekend.

Full story: I-5 reopens

Slideshow: Aerial tour of Chehalis, Centralia, I-5

Storm damaging, deadly

At least five deaths have been linked to the powerful Pacific storm. Witnesses watched in horror as the driver of a pickup truck was swept away by raging floodwaters in the coastal town of Wheeler, Oregon. The vehicle was later found but not the driver, who is presumed dead. A body was also found in a flooded Tualatin creek, and at least three deaths in Washington were attributed to the winter storm. Dozens of animals were also reportedly drowned in the floodwaters.

More:

Three people killed in Wash.

Woman killed in cleanup accident

Animal death toll rising after storm

Body found in swollen Tualatin creek

Metro Areas Flooded Too

Even the greater Portland area, spared the brunt of the twin Pacific storms that pummeled coastal communities, experienced problems.

With so much rainfall in such a short span of time, S.E. Foster Road resembled a lake on Monday. Transportation crews closed the high-traffic road, nevertheless, many motorists attempted passage, with only a small fraction succeeding. A handful of other streets were briefly closed as well.

Story: Floods wipe out part of Hwy. 35

Story: Portland streets reopen, including Foster Rd.

Story: Heavy rains cause sewers to overflow

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Wash., county officials closed popular Klineline Bridge to protect public safety for fear that high water flows in Salmon Creek could cause the bridge to fail.

Story: Klineline Bridge on Hwy. 99 closed

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski said the storms taught him there is a major need for a new network of towers and transmitters that would allow all emergency workers to talk to one another from nearly anywhere in Oregon.

More: Floods a 'learning experience'

Multimedia:

ALL storm slideshows

ALL other storm video