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Subject: Postcard from Portland
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from the Pacific Northwet. Once again the major news for the
monthly postcard is the weather. The first week of February brought
unseasonably warm temperatures and nearly a foot of rain. This
combination resulted in the worst floods Oregon and Washington have
seen since the 'big one' of 1964. You can read all the gory details and
the usual climatic summary at the end of this postcard. Suffice it to
say that Liz and I were very fortunate to have been merely
inconvenienced by what, for many people, was an event of tragic
proportions. Southbound I-5 had a mud slide, resulting in 2 of the 3
lanes being closed for two days. The alternate surface street (Barbur
Blvd.) also had mud slides requiring lane closures. ADP, while on
First Avenue, is towards the southern end of the city and well back
from the river. Liz simply didn't go to the facility she frequents in
Molalla for a few days (it had been evacuated!). So the flood really
didn't affect us nearly as much as the wind, snow and ice we've had.
Some of my coworkers had minor flooding. One of them had the normally
tame Tualatin River rise to within two feet of her house. To make
matters worse, her husband was out of town on business. Her sump pump
failed, but she luckily found one to rent. She had a couple of
sleepless nights keeping a watchful eye on the water level in her
basement and trying to console her four year old daughter.
On a more pleasant note, Valentine's Day marked the two year
anniversary of our engagement. We had originally intended to celebrate
it the weekend prior to 2/14, but decided to postpone it to the
following weekend due to the flood. We went across the river to
Vancouver and enjoyed a wonderful meal at Pinot Ganache. Liz treated
herself to lamb chops and I chose the Mahi Mahi encrusted with black
sesame seeds (mmmm...). A bottle of Jordan Pinot Gris complemented the
main course. We managed to leave room for their killer desserts and
shared a Maui Snowball (Macadamia brittle ice cream dusted with coconut
and floating in a bittersweet chocolate sauce {I can hear my mother
groaning, "That's high in fat and cholesterol!"} ) and a Caramel Nut
Torte (rich butter caramel with macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds, and
hazelnuts baked in butter pastry and covered with bittersweet chocolate
ganache). Although the torte was to-die-for (yes, Mom, we know ;-), it
was so rich that we took nearly all of it home to savor the following
day. Pinot Ganache, while wonderful, was not quite in the same league
as Pascal - but what is?
The next day (2/18) we saw our first Robin since last fall - two of
them - doing a mating dance. A hopeful sign that spring is around the
corner.
Our jobs continue to go well. I just finished up assisting the QA group
with Customer Simulation Testing. CST afforded me the opportunity to
learn some Unix system administration and get a better feel for our
products - but it was mostly boring (loading software, configuring
systems, etc.). It will be nice to get back to fixing bugs. Liz
continues to work in various facilities and supervise a CFY. She is
also now on the safety committee, which will be making recommendations
regarding precautions which should be taken by the therapists when
providing care for the patients.
My home pages have undergone another major update. I have added many
new links to Liz's section, which resulted in splitting it off to a
separate and distinct page just for her :-). I have also created a
"people" page for friends, acquaintances and strangers. Many new sites
have been added to the "links" page. And lastly, both of the Herring
pictures on the main page are now "hot" (try clicking on the left one
;-).
The past few days has been sunny, pleasant and exceptionally clear
(particulate counts around 10 parts/billion!). Hopefully our weather
woes are behind us and I'll have to find something else to talk about
in next month's Postcard from Portland.
Until then, we love and miss you all!
Sandy & Liz
excerpted from http://www.teleport.com/~samc/flood1.html (link now defunct)
DATELINE: PORTLAND OR Feb 29,1996, 11 am (PST) By Sam Churchill More than 2 weeks after the Northwest was hit by the worst flooding in over 30 years, 15,000 residents continue to boil water, hundreds are without permanent shelter and thousands are helping to clean up the mess. As of 2/25, FEMA has signed nearly $2 Million in checks to Washington victims and $3 Million to Oregon flood victims. 30,000 Oregon and Washington residents forced from their homes. The Red Cross gave out nearly 90,000 meals, slept 6,000 and is coordinating activities of over 1,000 volunteers and flood victims. Uninsured property damage in Oregon is estimated at $400 million based on projections from the 1964 flood. Highway damage in Oregon is estimated at $120 Million with many of the state's highways damaged from slides, fallen trees or deep water. Of Oregon's 36 Counties, 18 were declared disaster areas as were 13 counties in Washington. By February 27th, 26 Oregon counties were eligible for federal assistance. A total of 22 Oregon counties are eligible for public assistance and hazard mitigation funds. In Washington, 21 counties have now been designated eligible for federal disaster assistance since the President's declaration February 9th. Governor Lowry said it was likely the most expensive disaster the state of Washington has seen. FEMA's Disaster Aid Programs for Oregon and Washington included help for temporary housing and repairs for homes and businesses. The swollen Willamette River came within inches of overflowing the downtown Portland river wall but was successfully contained. Crews and volunteers built up the harbor wall, and the 400,000 residents in Oregon's largest city escaped flood damage. Estimates of river levels by the Army Corp of Engineers have traditionally been accurate. Concern soon shifted to the Tualatin River where a serious flood situation developed. Soon the west hills surrounding Portland became plagued with mud slides, condemming over 30 homes and condominiums. Other communities near Portland including Oregon City and Lake Oswego, where the Clackamas, Tualatin and Willamette rivers converge, were hit hard. Water turned shopping centers and arterials into lakes and streams. Most of downtown Oregon City, the End of the Oregon Trail, was under water. Tualatin was under 4 feet of water and had finished lumber floating down the streets. Salem's overflowing creeks are apparent in flood plain maps although state business managed to continue despite the flood. Virtually every stream and river in Oregon was at flood stage. The coastal town of Tillamook, known for its cheese, was turned into a virtual lake. Dairy farmers lost cattle by the hundreds. Tillamook and many other low lying towns became all but isolated - flooded roads cut off Vernonia for days. The high school was under 2-3 feet of water, loosing textbooks and computers without immediate funds to replace them, reports Greg Buchan, an instructor at VHS, who was looking for assistance. The 12,000 residents of Keizer, near the state capitol of Salem, were told to evacuate on Feb 8th and again on Feb 9th. Salem flood photos were broadcast by TV stations state-wide with nearly continuous coverage. Woodland, Washington, was without basic services and had ham radio operators monitoring river levels 24 hours a day. Emergency communitions are often supplied by the ARRL. National guard troups moved into Sauvie's Island, some 10 miles west of Portland, to shore up dikes and assist the stranded. Molalla's water treatment plant and water service was knocked out with floating debris. Several communities have been warned not to drink the tap water by the county health department. The Port of Vancouver was closed as were all of the Ports down the Columbia and Willamette rivers. Railroads were shut down and Interstate highways I-26, I-84 and I-30 were closed by mud slides with highway conditions treacherous. Interstate 5 was closed at Chehalis, with one lane opening four days after the flood peaked. Portland's Burnside and Steel bridges remained in the open position for several days, but the Portland International Airport and the Portland Public Schools never closed. The New Oregon Museum of Science and Industry building, in Multnomah County and next to the Willamette, had 15-18 feet of standing water in the basement. Volunteers put sandbags around the facility and monitored the facility 24 hours. Diesel generators were contributed gratis by community businesses. OMSI has created a very interesting page with before and after shots and MPEG videos of all the action. OMSI's Submarine was the craft of the hour. Fears that the sub could get detached from the dock and float down the river proved unfounded. OMSI will be closed for months and had to lay off half of its staff with losses expected to be around $1.5 million dollars although FEMA grants may pay 75% of the uninsured losses. Despite all the gloom and doom, most residents were fine and not in any danger or discomfort. Conservation of drinking water and road conditions were probably the biggest general concern. Non-stop coverage on television and radio kept most people well informed. Many now have questions about flood insurance and restoration. Cleanup may take months but the flood's residual ring may be remain for years. But there's good news, too. The Oregonian, reported that the state's Emergency Management Agency canceled a planned Earthquake drill this week. According to Director Myra Lee, "We've been there, done that".
total for the month... 10.03 normal month to date.. 3.85 total for the year.... 17.18 total since oct 1... 37.49 normal year to date... 9.20 normal from oct 1... 23.34
Begin Oregon Weather Summary
STATE WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
1110 AM PST FRI FEB 09 1996
RAIN HAS ENDED AND SKIES BEGAN TO CLEAR ALONG THE COAST AND NORTHERN
OREGON. WHILE SOME CLOUDS WERE LINGERING OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION
OF THE STATE...RAIN HAS ALSO ENDED THERE. THE WEATHER SYSTEM CAUSING
ALL THIS CONTINUED TO MOVE STEADILY EAST AND IS EXPECTED TO EXIT THE
STATE LATER TODAY. SOME BREEZY CONDITONS WERE REPORTED BEHIND THIS
SYSTEM IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND NORTHEAST WHERE WIND SPEEDS WERE
15 TO 20 MPH WITH SOME GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH. WINDS ALONG THE COAST
HAVE STEADILY DECREASED AND THE WINDIEST SPOTS THERE ARE NOW BLOWING
AT 10 TO 20 MPH.
OVERNIGHT LOWS WERE SOMEWHAT COOLER ON THE WEST SIDE COMPARED TO THE
PAST FEW MORNINGS...GENERLLY IN THE 40S WHILE THE EAST SIDE RANGED FROM
THE MID 30S TO MID 40S.
Begin Oregon River Report
FLOOD STATEMENT ...CORRECTED SALEM... BULLETIN NO. 62
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1030 AM PST FRI FEB 9 1996
...A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE MAINSTEM WILLAMETTE RIVER...
...FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR THE FOLLOWING WILLAMETTE VALLEY
TRIBUTARIES IN WESTERN OREGON...
MOHAWK MARYS LUCKIAMUTE
SOUTH SANTIAM SANTIAM SOUTH YAMHILL
MOLLALA PUDDING TUALATIN
CLACKAMAS JOHNSON CREEK
FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF WARNINGS AND FORECASTS FOR WILLAMETTE VALLEY
RIVERS. RIVER STAGES ARE FROM 10 AM FRIDAY.
RIVER/STATION CURRENT FLOOD FORECAST
NAME STAGE STAGE
WILLAMETTE
AT CORVALLIS 22.5 FT. 20.0 FT CRESTED AT 7 AM. FALL BELOW
FLOOD STAGE LATE SATURDAY
MORNING.
AT ALBANY 29.9 FT 25.0 FT CRESTED 5 AM. FALL BELOW
FLOOD STAGE SATURDAY EVENING.
AT SALEM 33.7 FT 28.0 FT CRESTED THURSDAY 4 PM. FALL
...CORRECTED CREST TIME... BELOW FLOOD STAGE EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING.
OREGON CITY UPPER 19.0 FT 14.0 FT NEAR CREST NOW. FALL SLOWLY
REMAINING ABOVE FLOOD STAGE
THROUGH SUNDAY.
OREGON CITY LOWER EST 45.0 27.0 FT NEAR CREST NOW. FALL SLOWLY
REMAINING ABOVE FLOOD STAGE
THROUGH SUNDAY.
PORTLAND AND LOWER COLUMBIA FORECASTS REFER TO FLOOD BULLETIN #57.
MOHAWK RIVER 16.1 FT 15.0 FT NEAR CREST NOW. FALL BELOW
AT SPRINGFIELD 7 AM FLOOD STAGE AROUND 2 PM
TODAY.
MARYS RIVER 20.2 FT 20.0 FT NEAR FLOOD STAGE THROUGH
AT PHILOMATH MID AFTERNOON THEN FALL.
LUCKIAMUTE RIVER 32.1 FT 27.0 FT FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE 10 PM
NEAR SUVER SATURDAY.
SOUTH SANTIAM 12.7 FT 12.0 FT CRESTED 6 AM. SLOW FALL TO
AT WATERLOO BELOW FLOOD STAGE AT 6 PM
TODAY.
SANTIAM 18.8 FT 15.0 FT CRESTED 2/7 8 PM. FALL BELOW
JEFFERSON FLOOD STAGE BY SATURDAY 8 AM.
SOUTH YAMHILL 46.9 FT 38.0 FT CRESTED. FALL BELOW FLOOD
NEAR WHITESON STAGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
MOLLALA RIVER NOT ABVL 13.0 FT CRESTED. FALL BELOW FLOOD
NEAR CANBY AROUND NOON TODAY.
PUDDING RIVER 27.7 FT 22.0 FT CRESTED. SLOW FALL TO
NEAR AURORA BELOW FLOOD STAGE MONDAY.
TUALATIN RIVER 18.3 FT 17.0 FT CRESTED. VERY SLOW FALL TO
NEAR DILLEY BELOW FLOOD STAGE SUNDAY
NIGHT.
NEAR FARMINGTON 37.1 FT 32.0 FT CRESTING NOW. SLOW FALL TO
NEAR FLOOD STAGE MONDAY.
NEAR WEST LINN 17.4 FT 13.5 FT STILL RISING. CREST AT 18.5
FEET SATURDAY AT NEAR 4 AM.
CLACKAMAS RIVER 14.1 FT 10.0 FT CRESTED. STEADY FALL TO BELOW
AT ESTACADA FLOOD STAGE BY 6 PM TODAY.
JOHNSON CREEK 11.2 FT 11.0 FT NEAR FLOOD STAGE NOW.
SYCAMORE CONTINUED FALL BUT FLOODING
WILL CONTINUE DOWNSTREAM
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
Begin Oregon Climatic Summary
CLIMATIC SUMMARY FOR PORTLAND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON
1250 AM PST FRI FEB 09 1996
...TEMPERATURE...
HIGH YESTERDAY... 62
LOW YESTERDAY... 48
MEAN TEMP........ 55 DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL... 12
NORMAL HIGH FOR TODAY... 50
NORMAL LOW FOR TODAY... 36
RECORD HIGH FOR TODAY... 62 SET IN 1963
RECORD LOW FOR TODAY... 25 SET IN 1986
...PRECIPITATION...
YESTERDAY............. 1.86
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH... 7.07
NORMAL MONTH TO DATE.. 1.18
TOTAL FOR THE YEAR.... 14.22 TOTAL SINCE OCT 1... 34.53
NORMAL YEAR TO DATE... 6.53 NORMAL FROM OCT 1... 20.67
Begin Oregon Previous 24hour MinMax Report
OREGON TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
430 AM PST FRI FEB 09 1996
SHOWN ARE YESTERDAYS HIGHS...THIS MORNING LOWS...AND PRECIPITATION
FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS ENDING AT 4AM PST.
STATEWIDE AREAS MAX MIN PCPN REMARKS
ASTORIA 55 43 E2.11
NEWPORT (CITY) 57 46 2.10
NORTH BEND 67 51 1.60
BROOKINGS 57 52 2.46
PORTLAND (AIRPORT) 62 45 1.79
SALEM 62 48 1.51
CORVALLIS (AIRPORT) 62 50 .93
EUGENE 66 49 1.69
MT. SEXTON 50 43 .73
MEDFORD 70 52 .23
REDMOND 64 44 .08
LAKEVIEW 52 42
PENDLETON (AIRPORT) 66 48 .22
BAKER CITY 50 38 T
BURNS 47 35
ROME 54 46
--
Sandy & Liz Herring permanent address: sherring@ACM.org
Portland, Oregon provider du jour : shh@teleport.com
Peck of Pickled Pisces ........... http://www.teleport.com/~shh/
And that's the news from Lake Oswego,
where the women are strong, the men good looking
and all the children are above average.
Most Recent Update: Thursday, 14-Oct-2004 17:16:34 PDT
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