These photos of Abernethy Creek in Oregon City were taken today after the latest round of heavy precipitation. According to residents who live along the creek and Redland Road, the water had already receded by a couple of feet when I shot these earlier today. Additionally, this is apparently 10 feet or so less than the floods of ‘96, according to my neighbor, a lifelong resident.
With the ground saturated from our recent melted snows, continuous rain, downed trees, and every form of precipitation in the book thrown in our direction, it comes as little surprise that we are facing flooding here in PDX. In this case, I suspect that the clear cutting on the opposing hillside (not shown) didn’t help the situation, though that is not a scientific opinion.
New home that was built on the flood plain (I believe), last year.
The water was apparently only a foot deep or so, but enough to get the car off the road and overturned.
Overturned car that tried to cross the creek. Ironically it's an import.
More flood damage.
A local resident said that when the flooding started, trash cans were out for pickup, so trash from the neighborhood is now spread all over the creek banks and meadows.
Flooding of a local field just below Holly Lane.
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These photos remind me of the years I spent growing up on Abernathy Creek, just downstream from Beaver Lake. In the early ’70’s, I remember sandbags, ducks floating in our front yard, and my dad in hip waders, trying to keep the floods at bay.
Now in real estate, I have resolved never to let a client knowingly buy anywhere along the Abernathy Creek floodplain.
I think everyone who lives near this was shocked when they built that brand new house smack dab in the middle of the floodplain. How they got a permit is a mystery.
I feel bad for any family that has to suffer through a flood, but A NEW HOUSE BUILT IN A FLOODPLAIN post Veronia Flood and Katrina? That’s just idiotic.
I think it works like this with building in floodplains. Certain jurisdictions haven’t changed their zoning, nor have they updated their floodplain maps. I also think there are many, many “grandfather clauses” built in for people that already owned land before the land was converted to floodplain status.
Still, getting insurance and financing on these is a different story and well, building in one knowingly is just, duh.
Yep that home has been for sale for quite some time now (brand new). But anyone with half a brain would have to at least question whether this sort of thing would happen. I don’t know – it could be engineered for flooding in the lower level (garage), which is possible…
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