1996 High Water Flood: Difference between revisions
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== NET Roles in the 1996 Flood == | == NET Roles in the 1996 Flood == | ||
[[File:1996.02.09.Helping Hands.jpg|alt=Scan of an Oregonian article from February 9, 1996 featuring NETs conducting door to door public information calls about the flood.|thumb|350x350px|''Scan of an Oregonian article from February 9, 1996 featuring NETs conducting door to door public information calls about the flood.'']] | [[File:1996.02.09.Helping Hands.jpg|alt=Scan of an Oregonian article from February 9, 1996 featuring NETs conducting door to door public information calls about the flood.|thumb|350x350px|''Scan of an Oregonian article from February 9, 1996 featuring NETs conducting door to door public information calls about the flood.'']] | ||
The Portland AAR mentions two volunteers (presumably NETs) assisting five other personnel in the EOC. | '''The 1996 Flood is one of the first documented deployment of NET volunteers.'''<ref>The '''''first''''' known NET deployment was on December 12 of the prior year for a windstorm, but that was obviously on a smaller scale.</ref> The Portland AAR mentions two volunteers (presumably NETs) assisting five other personnel in the EOC. Alongside spontaneous volunteers, NETs also undoubtedly helped to sandbag and erect barrier fences. However, no record recovered by PBEM says exactly how many NETs deployed. It is also unclear what dates NETs and other volunteers were deployed, but the acute deployment period ran from February 5<sup>th</sup> to February 9<sup>th</sup>. | ||
Most notably, PF&R deployed NET volunteers to distribute information to business owners in the central eastside. ''The Oregonian'' mentioned NETs engaging in this activity [https://portlandnet.tumblr.com/post/187782471860/nets-during-the-1996-flood-net-volunteer-nicholas in an article] posted to the right on this page. | |||
== 1996 Portland Floods: Background == | |||
The Flood of 1996 in Oregon was a severe weather event that took place in February of that year. It was characterized by heavy rainfall, high winds, and flooding, affecting several regions in the Pacific Northwest, including Portland. The Willamette River crested at 28.55 feet, where the typical level in February is seven feet. | |||
According to Joseph Rose with ''The Oregonian'', a convergence of weather events contributed to the flood's cause: | |||
* Abnormally high rainfall (7.12 inches, 125% above normal) that saturated the soil and had rivers running high in January. | |||
* Heavy snowfall in the mountains in late January. | |||
* A weeklong deep freeze in the valley. A headline in the Feb. 2, 1996, Oregonian read: "Cold weather makes plumbers hot item." | |||
* On Feb. 6, 1996, a warm Pineapple Express jetstream melted the snow while bringing a heavy deluge of rain. That was [https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2019WR024950 the trigger]. | |||
* Within hours, every body of water in the region and many on the Oregon Coast suddenly went to flood stage and beyond.<ref>Oregonian/OregonLive, J. R. |. (2020, February 5). Remembering Oregon’s epic 1996 flood (photos). ''Oregonlive''. https://www.oregonlive.com/history/2016/02/oregon_flood_of_1996_20_years.html</ref> | |||
Tragically, the Flood of '96 resulted in eight fatalities, with at least four people losing their lives in one day alone. The flood led to over one hundred landslides in Portland alone and caused millions of dollars in highway damage. Total damages across the region exceeded $1 billion.<ref>NOAA’s National Weather Service. (n.d.). ''Flooding in Oregon''. https://www.weather.gov/safety/flood-states-or</ref> | |||
== The 1996 After Action Report == | == The 1996 After Action Report == | ||
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[[File:1996 Flood Graph.jpg|alt=River level graph on page 11 of the original AAR document. The graph doesn't clarify the Columbia or Willamette river, only saying that readings are taken at the I-5 bridge.|thumb|''River level graph on page 11 of the original AAR document. The graph doesn't clarify the Columbia or Willamette river, only saying that readings are taken at the I-5 bridge.''|350x350px]] | [[File:1996 Flood Graph.jpg|alt=River level graph on page 11 of the original AAR document. The graph doesn't clarify the Columbia or Willamette river, only saying that readings are taken at the I-5 bridge.|thumb|''River level graph on page 11 of the original AAR document. The graph doesn't clarify the Columbia or Willamette river, only saying that readings are taken at the I-5 bridge.''|350x350px]] | ||
The AAR from the flood is itself a telling piece of work in the respect that AAR recommendations | [[File:Katz 96 Flood.jpg|alt=Mayor Katz watching the 96 flood.|thumb|350x350px|''Portland Mayor Vera Katz stands along "[https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-23431-feb-8-1996-vera-katz-builds-her-wall.html Vera's Wall]", where volunteers filled and dropped approximately 40,000 sandbags to keep waters from topping over Waterfront Park.'']] | ||
The aftermath of the 1996 flood led to discussions and efforts to improve flood management and infrastructure resilience in the affected areas. It remains an important event in Oregon's history, highlighting the impact of severe weather on communities and the need for preparedness and response measures. | |||
The Portland AAR from the flood is itself a telling piece of work in the respect that the AAR recommendations/improvement plan is nearly identical to recommendations often seen in City of Portland AARs in decades since. The table below summarizes the report findings. Boxes highlighted in yellow indicate a plan item that ultimately contributed to the development of Portland NET. | |||
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|The EMC will be asked to address this issue at their own bureau level. | |The EMC will be asked to address this issue at their own bureau level. | ||
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=== Other AAR callouts concerning volunteers === | === Other AAR callouts concerning volunteers === | ||
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== References and Notes == | == References and Notes == | ||
<references /> | |||
