The Flood of '96    November

Summary: The death toll mounts from the surprise storm that is expected to keep wreaking havoc in Portland as rains weaken trees and hillsides

Intense rain and snowfall triggered widespread flooding throughout Oregon and triggered a mudslide that killed two people.

Southern Oregon was the hardest hit, with more than 6 inches of rain falling overnight in some areas. Lane County authorities warned some residents to prepare to be cut off from public services for up to three days.

In Portland, the storm cut power to nearly 100,000 customers and caused minor flooding in low-lying areas.

Steady rain was expected into midafternoon in Northwest Oregon, with about another half-inch predicted today. The rain will taper off to showers this evening, with the snow level dipping to about 500 feet tonight. Wednesday will be mostly cloudy with occasional showers.

Forecasters expected another storm system to move into Oregon, bringing more rain, late Thursday.

In rural Douglas County, two were killed and two others were presumed dead this morning after a hillside house was smashed to pieces and washed away by a landslide. Two children who were in the home were able to escape unharmed.

- Home swept 300 yards

The slide of mud, boulders and trees was so powerful that only small pieces of the house at 10813 Hubbard Creek Road were found, authorities said. The home, perched above the road near the small town of Umpqua west of Sutherlin, was swept about 300 yards across the road as heavy rains pounded the area about 6 p.m. Monday, said Capt. Robert Stratton of the Douglas County Sheriff's department. He estimated that the slide was 20 feet deep and more than 75 yards long.

The body of Rick Wayne Moon, 46, was discovered near the road under debris. He apparently was killed after a tree fell on him while he was outside near the house, said Joe Pebrolla of Douglas County Fire District 2, which sent a rescue team to the area.

A second body was recovered early today, but identification had not been made, Stratton said. Still missing early today were Susan Eileen Moon, 44, who also lived in the house; a neighbor, Sharon Marvin, 40; and an unidentified woman.

Two children, Justin and Rachelle Moon, fled the house before the slide and were staying with neighbors this morning, Stratton said. Their ages were unavailable.

On the Southern Oregon coast, several homes in a subdivision along Hunter Creek south of Gold Beach were evacuated Monday evening when the heavy rain coincided with high tide, Curry County sheriff's deputies said.

An evacuation center was set up in the Catholic church in Gold Beach.

U.S. 101, the main coastal highway, was flooded on the southern coast north of Port Orford and about seven miles south of Bandon.

Mudslides have stranded an unknown number of people on Oregon highways 138 and 38 leading to the coast.

- Two cars swept into river

Two cars were swept into the Umpqua River along Highway Oregon 38, 12 miles east of Reedsport, and a van was trapped in the same slide. Rescuers were hampered by fallen trees and washouts on the road. Coast Guard rescue helicopters were grounded by high winds and intense rain.

The Lane County sheriff's office asked rural residents from Mapleton to Leaburg to gather enough food, water and emergency supplies to be ready for 48 to 72 hours of potential isolation from public services.

Sixty miles of Highway Oregon 58 between Chemult to Oakridge was blocked by mudslides and downed trees, the Oregon State Police said.

A blaze at the Dee Hardboard Plant south of Hood River started when the main building's roof caved in about 4 a.m., firefighters said. The fire spread throughout the sprawling complex, but no injuries were reported.

A foot of snow in the Hood River valley pulled down trees, power lines and telephone lines, leaving several thousand Pacific Power and Light Co. and Hood River Electric Cooperative customers without electricity.

- Lots and lots of rain

Weather forecasters said the storm packed an astonishing amount of rain.

For the 24 hours ending at 4 a.m., North Bend had 6.66 inches of rain. Eugene had about 5 inches, Corvallis 4 1/2 inches and Salem 3 1/4 inches. Those cities set records for Nov. 18, said Clinton Rockey, a National Weather Service forecaster. Portland had 2.22 inches during that period and about another half-inch by late morning.

The Weather Service issued flood warnings for portions of the Coquille, South Umpqua, Santiam, Siletz, Siuslaw, Alsea and Rogue rivers. Most of those rivers were expected to crest 2 to 3 feet above flood stage by early afternoon.

"The Mohawk is particularly worrisome," said Bill Schneider, a meteorologist with the weather service in Portland. "We think that river might go as high as 20 feet," or 5 feet above flood stage.

Monday night, the Mohawk had flooded parts of the Springfield Country Club's golf course. Water flowed over sections of a nearby road.

While the worst is over for Southern Oregon, it could be just beginning for the Portland area, with hillsides and trees weakened by last winter's rains a concern.

In Clackamas County, some residents were evacuated from the R'Layne Apartments on Southeast Lake Road.

According to Deputy Damon Coates, the apartment complex floods each winter. Last year, residents built a sandbag dike to keep the water out, but a Tri-Met bus hit the dike early this morning, and the home were flooded, Coates said.

Along Abernethy Creek, six miles upstream from Oregon City, residents were sandbagging their homes.

- Home has third flood of year

For the third time this year, Patricia Ferrell-French found Abernethy's waters circling her home on South Creek Road.

She, her husband and her wheelchair-bound mother-in-law began evacuating at 4 this morning. Her living room, which sustained $53,000 in damages during February's floods, was one inch above water.

"All this was new -- new carpets, new floors," said Ferrell-French, who campaigned for Clackamas County commission this fall in part because of the flood. She claimed the county's poor planning and selective enforcement of land-use laws increased the likelihood of flooding and erosion along the river.

"This is the third time we've flooded this year," she said.

In Gresham, staff and volunteers at the Bud Monnes Police Activities League Center in Gresham were up all night trying to repair more than 21 leaks in the youth center's roof, trying to protect the hardwood floor on the new basketball court.

"That's a new roof on the gym so we think maybe it is a problem with the caulking," according to Maura White, executive director.

White put out a call for volunteers to help make temporary repairs since she was unable to get a roofer out this morning.

"We know there are people who could come and help get on the roof with us if they know how much we need them," White said.

- Gresham storm drains blocked

The city of Gresham had minor flooding problems because leaves have blocked many storm drains. Two work crews are out clearing drains.

In Southeast Portland, Johnson Creek spilled over its banks overnight and forced the closure of Southeast Foster Road between 102nd and 122nd avenues. High water also closed portions of Southeast Market Street, Southwest Boones Ferry Road, Northeast 30th Avenue and Northeast Couch Street, said Mary Volm, communication director for the Portland Office of Transportation.

Fallen trees closed portions of Northwest Germantown Road, Southwest Fairmount Boulevard and Southwest Cardinell Drive.

City crews were anticipating slides in the West Hills and along North Willamette Boulevard near the University of Portland, Volm said.

"A lot of things were weakened from last year," she said.

Heavy snow caused trees and tree limbs to fall on power lines, causing about 100,000 Portland General Electric customers to lose power at some point Monday night, said Karen Lee, a PGE spokeswoman. By late this morning, 25,000 customers remained without power. Most of the power failures occurred in Southwest Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tigard, Aloha, Hillsboro and western Washington County.

Officials expected to have power restored by tonight, but some isolated customers might not have power until some time Wednesday, Lee said.

About 12,250 Pacific Power & Light customers were still without power in Oregon this morning, said Gary Donnelly, Pacific Power spokesman. Those failures hit worst in Hood River, Coos Bay, Roseburg and Crescent City.

- Forest Grove power failure

In Forest Grove, which has its own municipal electric system surrounded by PGE territory, service to about 40 homes and businesses was interrupted. Most were in the older parts of the city south of 19th Avenue, where lines are still above ground, said Glen Crinklaw, commercial manager for the power system.

There was then a citywide power failure in West Linn lasting until about 7 a.m. today. The power failure affected three municipal sewer pump stations, which ran on emergency generators until power was restored.

The storm closed roads throughout the Portland area, with Clackamas and Washington County reporting more than a dozen roads each impassable because of water or downed limbs.

"As far as state highways, the Portland area is looking pretty good," said Ron Scheele, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Transportion.

Oregon 47 between Vernonia and U.S. 26 was the only state highway closed in Northwest Oregon, Scheele said. Small slides and fallen tree limbs also caused short-term closures on U.S. 26 and the Wilson River Highway, Scheele said.

A small sinkhole in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near the Stafford exit closed the freeway for about a half hour during rush hour. That portion of the freeway is under construction, and Scheele said it was possible the hole could reopen.

A slide near Southwest Military Road closed one lane of Oregon 43 north of Lake Oswego.

"It was everything you see in a typical winter -- in 12 hours," said Dennis Koellermeier, West Linn operations manager.

John Griffith, Peter Farrell, David Anderson, Jeanie Senior, Eric Gorski, Janet Filips, Kate Freedlander and the Associated Press contributed to this report.