Oregon Coast, Salem- Additional warming shelters became available to coastal residents Friday morning after severe flooding threatened homes and schoolsThursday in several Oregon cities.
School resumed Friday in Port Orford and Langlois school districts where classes were cancelled Thursday for threat of flooding and landslides. Schools in both districts were placed on a 2-hour late start Friday morning.
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber declared Coos Countyto bein a State of Emergency Thursday. Thegovernor directed theOregon Military Department and Office of Emergency Management to coordinate all requests for state assistance from affected counties.
In Coos Bay authorities received 911 calls from residents near the Millicoma River who were unable to flee their homes due to rushing flood waters. Further inland and to the southeast residents of Mountain Man RV Park along the Illinois River drove through several feet of river water to evacuate their homes.
In Brookings, Richard Cosgrove watched the gazebo in his backyard be carried away by rushing waters of the Chetco River. By noon Thursday his home along the river was flooded by several inches.
“It’s already this bad and it’s not even high tide,” Cosgrove said. Other residents near the Chetco said this had been the worst flooding the area had in twenty years.
The Oregon capitalwas also declared to be in a state of emergency Thursday. The Willamette River in Salem reached 21 feet Thursday andis expected to reach 30 feet Friday, justtwo feet below flood level. 29 roads in the city have already been closed due to flooding.
Classeshave beencancelled Friday at Oregon State University in Corvallis due to threat of flooding.
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