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View Full Version : Oregon hit with major flooding; weather service issues warning; rivers, creeks cresti



MNeagle
19th January 2012, 12:44 PM
Hope Ponce is o.k.! And others in WA/PNW area w/ the snow issues too...

Oregon hit with major flooding; weather service issues warning; rivers, creeks cresting at record levels


Talk about wet: Oregon is getting hammered.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning from Lincoln City to Florence on the coast washing eastward to Oakridge and north to Salem (http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/). Much of the rest of the state is under a flood advisory or flood watch.

"We've had reports of two to three inches for various locations," said Tiffani Brown, meteorologist at the National Weather Service.


Mary's River near Philomath in Benton County is expected to crest at 21.2 feet about 10 a.m., setting a new record. The last record -- at 21.1 feet -- was set Dec. 30, 2005. Flood stage for Mary's River is 20 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

The other high spot in the state is the Luckiamute River near Suver, which crested at 32.6 feet Thursday morning, 5 feet above flood stage.

Other rivers experiencing major flooding are (http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=pqr):

Alsea River, which runs through Benton and Lincoln counties crested at 22 feet early this morning at Tidewater

The Siuslaw River near Mapleton in Lane County crested at 26 feet this morning

Long Tom River, which runs through Benton and Lane counties, crested at Monroe at 9.3 feet today.

Mohawk River near Springfield in Lane County hit 16.5 feet about midnight Wednesday and is still rising.

Santiam River at Jefferson hit a high water mark at 16.4 feet this morning

Siletz River at Siletz in Lincoln County crested at 21.8 feet this morning
Several evacuations are under way in Lane and Marion counties.

In Springfield, officials have called for voluntary evacuations from areas around Sunderman Road, Tree Farm Road and Goats Road, said county spokeswoman Amber Fossen.

A shelter is being set up at Briggs Middle School in Springfield at 2355 Yolanda Ave. It will open at 4 p.m.

The Mohawk River is still rising and is expected to crest at 9 p.m. Creeks along the Highway 126 corridor east towards Veneta are also expected to crest after nightfall.

Fossen said residents should start making preparations now and now wait until after dark, which the situation could be much worse.

The community center in Veneta at 25192 E. Broadway will open as a shelter site at 2 p.m.

Lane County, the city of Springfield and the South Lane Fire District have set up sand bag locations. Residents, equipped with shovels, can go to:



Home Depot on Green Acres Road in Eugene
City of Springfield building at 209 S. 18th St.
Lane County Public Works building at 25398 Jeans road in Veneta
And in Cottage Grove at 233 Harrison Ave.
In Marion County, Aumsville and especially Turner have been the hardest hit, said Jennifer Chamberlain, spokeswoman for Oregon Emergency Management.

County public works crews, along with inmates, are working to clear debris and roadways and the sheriff's office is assisting with evacuations in Aumsville and Turner, where six boats from the sheriff's office and Salem Fire have been deployed.

Turner residents say officials are preparing to close the town because of flooding.

Shelters have been set up in both Turner and Aumsville. Barricades have been put up, warning drivers of closures. Violators risk a $110 citation.

Scio has been hard hit as well, where homes have been flooded and the fire department evacuated residents overnight. About three-quarters of the nearly 900 residents are expected to leave, according to The Associated Press.

Residents are being notified by an automated dialing system, and a church has been designated as a refuge.

The water is coming from Thomas Creek, which flows out of the Cascade Range toward the Willamette River.

For information on emergency management in Marion County call 503-588-5108.

Corvallis and areas in Benton County are flooded as well. Check the city's website (http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/hazards) for more information or go to the county's public works site (https://www.co.benton.or.us/pw/index.php). Residents can also call the Benton County Public Works information line at 541-766-6821 to report problems. For information on flooding, road closures and travel restrictions, call 541-766-6120.

Corvallis and Benton County officials urged residents not to call 9-1-1 unless there is an emergency. To report flooding and for more information call 541-766-6821.

Residents should avoid driving in high-water areas. It only takes about 18 inches of water to float most cars.

Local sandbagging sites have been set up with sand and bags. Residents need to bring their own shovels:



Wilson School at 2601 NW Satinwood
Osborn Aquatic at 1940 NW Highland
Grant Avenue Baptist Church at 1625 NW Grant
CHS Parking Lot Entrance off 11th Street
NW Conser Blvd 100 yards north of Circle Boulevard
509J Office at 1555 SW 35th St.
Cheldelin Middle School 987 NE Conifer Blvd.
Home Depot at 1780 NW Four Acre Place
Benton County Public Works 360 SW Avery Ave.
Philomath Public Works at 1515 Willow Lane
North 20th Street in Philomath
Benton County Fairgrounds at 110 SW 53rd St. Corvallis
There won't be much letup for awhile.

"We've got flooding through today and tomorrow at least," Brown said. "We're expected to get rain thought the end of the week. It will be different systems but probably won't feel like it."

http://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2012/01/oregon_hit_with_major_flooding.html

Hatha Sunahara
19th January 2012, 01:02 PM
Looks like we're having a Pineapple Express here. That's when the clouds in the pacific are lined up all the way from Hawaii, and pointing and moving straight at the Pacific Northwest. I remember one of those here in 1996. Rained nonstop for a coup[le of weeks, and warm weather so the snow in the mountains melted adding to the flooding. Some of downtown Portland was underwater from a rising Willamette River.


Hatha

Book
19th January 2012, 01:26 PM
Plenty of needed snow was delivered here in Idaho. Constant rain is now melting most of it at lower levels.

:)

milehi
19th January 2012, 02:54 PM
Those rivers listed all have outstanding salmon and steelhead fishing. Meanwhile, here in the SoCal mountains, it's springtime. Normally, I'd have a six foot snow berm outside, but so far there hasn't been any reason to pick up a shovel. I'm wearing flip flops instead of Sorels, and have the door to the back deck open instead of a having a fire going.

mightymanx
19th January 2012, 03:04 PM
Up near Seattle they are calling it Snowpocalapse basicly my town has been shutdown for the last 2 days.

Personaly I think it is hilarious becasue it is only 8 inches of snow and people think the end of civilazation is upon us.

But helpless as they are when a snowflake is spotted, they do drive prius's and can order coffee 234,567 different ways around here.

zap
19th January 2012, 04:00 PM
Yep MN, I was wondering about Ponce myself.

mightymanx
19th January 2012, 04:06 PM
Hope his TP did not get wet and causee the house to collapse from the weight.

drafter
19th January 2012, 05:07 PM
I'm right on the middle of it and it's a mess. 7 inches of rain in the last 2 days. Major flooding and the highway between my home and work is crumbling down the hillside and will probably be closed for 3 to 5 days. I'll be living at work while the family stays at home on the other side of the closure. Still raining and supposedly the wind is going to pick up again tommorrow.

beefsteak
19th January 2012, 05:17 PM
Pineapple Express with 3-Fukushima Toppings+smoke residues. YUCK!

This is terrible news. I'm so sorry to hear about this. Yoichi Shimatsu consistently has warned the Jeff Rense listeners that this was what was coming.

Bet the CPM counts are OFF THE CHARTS!

zap
19th January 2012, 05:54 PM
Stay safe drafter and family.