Gov. Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency in Oregon due to severe winter storm conditions.

In her declaration, Brown ordered the Office of Emergency Management to coordinate dispatching Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police and Oregon National Guard resources to areas throughout the state.

The orders come after Crook County officials asked the governor to declare a state of emergency due to dangerous levels of snow. Lawmakers representing far-eastern Oregon's Malheur County have also asked the governor for aid.

Crook County commissioners declared a local state of emergency Tuesday after being pummeled with snow for weeks. But now, county resources are drained and they need state help, said county emergency preparedness coordinator Vicky Ryan.

Ryan said Juniper Acres, an isolated, off-the-grid community south of Prineville, is county officials' main concern. The community of about 150 has been cut off from emergency resources due to snow-blocked roads, which the county does not maintain, she said.

"It's becoming quite a concern because it's been so many days now," she said. "People can't get their medications. People can't get propane. We've exhausted all of our resources."

Ryan said ambulances can't get into the area, which has at least four feet of standing snow and roadside snow berms twice as tall. Medical emergencies in Juniper Acres prompted evacuations by snowmobile, she said.

The Crook County Sheriff's Office has also been helping residents who request evacuation, but they don't have enough manpower to provide emergency food and supplies -- and neither does the county, officials said.

Another worry is what happens when the snow melts. "If it does start warming up we could experience mass flooding," Ryan said, adding that snow has been accumulating in the area since Thanksgiving.

Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, whose legislative district includes Juniper Acres, said he has been in close contact with state and county officials to monitor the situation. McLane urged residents to exercise caution and look out for friends and neighbors.

"With more snow in the forecast and freezing temperatures expected to continue, Oregonians should not hesitate to contact emergency personnel if they or someone they know is in distress," McLane said.

Crook County, a 3,000 square-mile area east of Bend, is home to fewer than 30,000 people, most of whom live in Prineville, the county seat.

Malheur County is also seeking state help after snow and ice has collapsed barns and posed a flooding threat on the banks of the Snake River.

Rep. Cliff Bentz and Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, on Wednesday requested that the governor send resources to the county, where parts of Interstate 84 and Highway 20 are closed due to bad weather.

Bentz said in a press release that Brown has ordered her staff to coordinate with local authorities and the office of Idaho Gov. Butch Otter.

"This is a real emergency," said Ferrioli. "Portland hasn't seen snow like this since '68. Ontario may never have seen snow dump like this before."

Other areas of central Oregon have also been walloped by snow in recent days.

More than two feet fell in Bend as of Wednesday morning -- a record-setting snowfall, according to the National Weather Service. Forty-four inches have fallen in Sunriver, 20 inches in Redmond and 37 inches in Sisters.

-- Gordon Friedman

gfriedman@oregonian.com; 503-221-8209