Unusually heavy rainfall poured on Oregon for days in February 1996. Rising waters in numerous rivers and streams battered areas throughout Western Oregon.
People frantically filled and placed sandbags along the Willamette River in downtown Portland in an effort to salvage precious buildings and homes.
Eugene was lucky.

Flood waters backed up stormwater systems and localized flooding occurred in low-lying areas. Several roadways throughout Lane County were closed and flood waters washed over Interstate-5 north of Eugene near Boston Mill Road overpass.
In some cases, basements were flooded, but “houseswere barely out of it,” said Chuck Solin, Eugene emergency program manager.
For the most part, the city was spared, he said.
The 1996 flood was a 25-year event and should not be used “to gauge the level of flood risk for the Eugene/Springfield Metro Area,” the Eugene Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan stated.
According to the plan, much larger floods are possible. Classic conditions for a major flood in the Willamette Valley – large snowpack, warm weather, heavy rainfall occurring at a time when reservoirs are pooling water for summer irrigation – could cause flooding in the area, and places like Autzen Stadium and neighboring apartment complexes, such as Duck’s Village and University Commons, are especially at risk. Students living in sub-level apartments or basement are in danger of experiencing flooding as well.
There are some things the city can do to prevent flood damage, such as improving current stormwater systems, channeling small creeks and building levees or flood walls on major rivers, according to the mitigation plan.
Dangers to campus
A map by the city of Eugene and the Federal Emergency Management Agency shows that Autzen Stadium and nearby apartment complexes could experience great damage in the event of a massive flood.
According to the map, the stadium and surrounding areas lays in a 100-year floodplain, giving those facilities a 1 percent chance of enduring a major flood every year.
Most of the University is located on a hill and rests outside of the floodplain. Most likely, problems on campus during a flood would result from water runoff, said Paul Bruch, University facilities specialist.
Water will run into the Millrace, flooding areas near the Willamette River. This may affect University buildings in that area, including Facilities Services and the power plant.
Basements of campus buildings may be damaged if storm water systems are blocked and cause localized flooding, said Andre LeDuc, program director of Oregon Natural Hazards Workgroup.
Students living in basements of older houses near campus may also experience flooding, Solin said.
Assessing the risk

A 100-year flood has washed through the Eugene area before. Several days of heavy rainfall in Dec. 1964 caused the most massive flooding recorded in Eugene.
Damage from the 1964 flood can still be seen on the Rogue River near Graves Creek, in Southern Oregon, where raging flood waters destroyed a 50-foot high bridge, Solin said.
But that degree of devastation is not likely to happen again because of additional dams built upstream on the McKenzie River, Solin said.
In the event of an 100-year flood, 71,000 cubic feet of water will flow down the Willamette River at Highway 126 in Springfield, according to the mitigation plan.
Areas that lie on a floodplain will become inundated.
Four percent of structures and 61 miles of roadways in the Eugene/Springfield area lay within mapped 100-year floodplains, the plan stated.
In 2003, there were about 3,500 flood insurance policies in Lane County and 320 of the policy holders filed claims, according to the plan.
Areas in the city that are outside of the floodplain may experience flooding because of plugged and overflowing storm water drains. The areas at highest risk for problematic stormwater drainage in Eugene are the Amazon Creek and basins in the south hills, the mitigation plan states.
Near campus, the intersections of East 18th Avenue and Hilyard Street, East 25th Avenue and Agate Street and East 25th Avenue and Alder Street are prone to flooding, yet they lie outside of mapped floodplains.
Major flooding may also cause wastewater systems to become unusable, which is one of the city’s greatest concerns, Solin said. After the 1996 flooding, a wastewater pump station near the airport broke for a while, he said. The station has since been elevated, but other wastewater systems could be lost during a major flood, he said.
If a system is out, then people in that area won’t be able to flush their toilets, he said.
Preparing for a flood
The city’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan discusses possible projects that may prevent major flood damage.
Some of them are already complete. For example, concrete channels in the past were applied to the Amazon Creek to prevent flooding throughout downtown Eugene, Solin said.
Also the city of Eugene now requires all finished floor elevations for new constructions be at least 1 foot above 100-year flood elevation, according to the plan.
More work could still be done. For example, there are currently no dams or flood control systems on the Mohawk River, which heavily flooded areas from Marcola to Springfield in 1996, Solin said.
Water rescue teams were used in 1996 and are ready for a major flood today, Solin said.
“We’ve had it,” he said. “We’ve done it.”Students can also take steps to protect their belongings from flood damage.
During a flood, people should avoid storm drains, sewers, power lines and buildings surrounded by flood water. People should not drive or walk through flood waters – even six inches of water is dangerous.
Students should also watch out for snakes or animals that may seek shelter inside homes.
People living in areas that may flood, such as basements, need to keep all valuables and personal records mobile so that they can be moved quickly, Solin said.
“If it’s raining for days and nights in a row this next winter or spring, people will need to pay attention to the radio or news,” Solin said, “so that they are aware of what we’re asking them to do.”

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