daFlud
It has been raining non-stop for well over a day now. This continuous torrential downpour has brought some of the worst floodwaters of my time. I recall one other catastrophic episode, known as the Willamette Valley Flood of 1996. I don't think this one is quite as disastrous, but it is approaching such proportions in certain areas of the state. The cause of the greatly increased water was a severe storm system that also warranted warnings of hurricane force winds.
I felt some pretty decent huffs and puffs while walking in the highly angled rain with my new "wind resistant" umbrella. Nearly blown off my feet I was. The primary effects of the storm I experienced were mild inconvenience. Our company's parking lot was flooded worse than I've ever seen. It happens every year, but this time no one could park there, and many of our neighboring businesses had similar plights. Many of my coworkers parked a quarter mile from work. I couldn't find a parking spot anywhere near work, so I opted to drive back home, park there, and walk. Highway 217 was flooded near Allen Blvd and was closed for the larger part of the afternoon and evening. The rising waters made our neighborhood swamp into a healthy river. It may be the highest I've seen it, but fortunately it was not high enough to threaten our comfort.
Sadly, the storm severely damaged Oregon's famed "Largest Sitka Spruce in the United States" near the coast on Highway 26. The powerful winds snapped the 700 year old tree, probably putting it down for the count. Sad, yes, but the people are more important, eh? If this storm or flood affected you in any way, feel free to leave a comment, sharing your experience whether it's a similar account of inconvenience, or more significant hazard or annoyance.
Here are some pictures I took of our company lake.
