FLOODS - 2006

compiled by Dee Finney

Severe Weather Map Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/weathermap.asp

. . . . Weather Radar Map Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/weatherradarmap.asp

. . . . Airport Closing and Delay Link . . . .
http://www.emergencyemail.org/remoteflight.asp

86 KSTO 010938
FLSLSJ
SFOFLSLSJ
CAC005-017-067-077-011800-

FLOOD STATEMENT - LWR SAN JOAQUIN RIVER SYSTEM
NATL WEATHER SVC SACRAMENTO CA
121 AM PST SUN JAN 01 2006

A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE COSUMNES RIVER AT MCCONNELL.
A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE MOKELUMNE RIVER AT BENSONS FERRY.

PRECIPITATION HAS STOPPED IN THE COSUMNES & MOKELUMNE WATERSHEDS.

OBSERVED OR FORECAST STAGES HAVE HISTORICALLY PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING IMPACTS.

FOR MCCONNELL.ABOVE 43.0 FEET, THE COSUMNES RIVER OVERFLOW CHANNEL CONTINUES TO FLOW.

&&

FORECASTS ARE BASED ON PRESENT & FORECASTED METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS AT TIME OF ISSUANCE.

MOKELUMNE RIVER AT    BENSONS FERRY 12 MID STAGE  14.3 FT
      FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR  17.5 FT  LATE SUN MORNING
      THEN FORECAST TO RECEDE TO NEAR  16.5 FT  NEAR MIDNIGHT SUNDAY
           MONITOR STAGE  13.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  18.0 FT

COSUMNES RIVER AT    MI BAR 12 MID STAGE  10.3 FT
      FORECAST TO RECEDE TO NEAR   7.5 FT  NEAR MIDNIGHT SUNDAY
           MONITOR STAGE   7.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  12.0 FT
   MCCONNELL 12 MID STAGE  46.5 FT
      FORECAST TO FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE  LATE SUN MORNING
      THEN FORECAST TO RECEDE TO NEAR  44.0 FT  NEAR MIDNIGHT SUNDAY
           MONITOR STAGE  40.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  46.0 FT

86 KSTO 011122
FLSLSC
SFOFLSLSC
CAC033-067-095-101-113-115-011800-

FLOOD STATEMENT - LWR SACRAMENTO RIVER SYSTEM
NATL WEATHER SVC SACRAMENTO CA
317 AM PST SUN JAN 01 2006

A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR YOLO BYPASS AT LISBON.
A FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR CACHE CREEK AT YOLO.

VERY HIGH RIVER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO THIS WEEK AS RUNOFF FROM RECENT STORMS WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH THE LWR SACRAMENTO RIVER SYSTEM. CACHE CREEK AT YOLO CRESTED AT ABOUT 83.2 FEET LATE SAT EVENING.

OBSERVED OR FORECAST STAGES HAVE HISTORICALLY PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING IMPACTS.

FOR LISBON.NEAR 23.5 FEET, KERNEY RANCH HOUSE FLOODS. FOR LISBON. NEAR 20.0 FEET, MOUND FARMS & SENATOR OUTING DUCK CLUB ARE FLOODED.
FOR LISBON.NEAR 17.0 FEET, GLIDE IN RANCH IS COMPLETELY FLOODED.
FOR LISBON.NEAR 16.0 FEET, COUNTY ROAD 155 IS FLOODED WEST OF THE GOLDEN SPRIG DUCK CLUB. FOR LISBON.NEAR 15.0 FEET, SKYRAKERS DUCK CLUB BEGINS TO FLOOD.

FOR FREMONT WEIR.NEAR 38.8 FEET, EGBERT TRACT FLOODS FOR FREMONT WEIR.NEAR 34.5 FEET, OVERFLOW CLOSES RIVER ROAD TO WOODLAND FOR FREMONT WEIR.NEAR 33.5 FEET, FREMONT WEIR CREST ELEVATION.
OVERFLOW BEGINS INTO THE YOLO BYPASS FLOODING AGRICULTURAL LANDS.

FOR I STREET BRIDGE.NEAR 19.0 FEET, DISCOVERY PARK IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

FOR YUBA CITY.NEAR 66.0 FEET, SIMPSON LANE FLOODS DUE TO BACKED UP WATER FROM THE FEATHER RIVER.

FOR LAKEPORT.NEAR 8.5 FEET, MINOR FLOODING OF SOME LAKE SIDE RESIDENTS OCCURS.  MORE BUILDINGS ARE THREATENED FROM LAKEPORT TO CLEARLAKE OAKS.

FOR CACHE CREEK AT YOLO.NEAR 81.0 FEET, OVERFLOW IS EXPECTED ON THE NON-LEVEED SO. BANK, UPSTREAM FROM THE START OF THE SOUTH-SIDE LEVEE AT 81.0 FEET.  WATER BEGINS MOVING SE TOWARD THE CITY OF WOODLAND.  TARGET ELEVATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE SLIGHTLY, AS ADDITIONAL DATA IS ACQUIRED.

&&

FORECASTS ARE BASED ON PRESENT & FORECASTED METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS AT TIME OF ISSUANCE.

SACRAMENTO RIVER AT    FREMONT WEIR 1 AM STAGE  39.3 FT
      PRESENT OVERFLOW DEPTH IS ABOUT   5.8 FT
      OVERFLOW DEPTH AT WEIR INCREASING TO   6.5 FT  EARLY MON MORNING
      THEN OVERFLOW DEPTH AT WEIR INCREASING TO   7.0 FT   MON EVENING
      THEN OVERFLOW DEPTH AT WEIR DECREASING TO   6.8 FT  EARLY TUES MORNING
           MONITOR STAGE  33.5 FT, FLOOD STAGE  40.8 FT
           DANGER STAGE  41.8 FT

   VERONA 1 AM STAGE  37.9 FT
      FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR  39.0 FT  EARLY MON MORNING
      THEN FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR  39.5 FT   MON EVENING
      THEN FORECAST TO FLUCTUATE NEAR  39.5 FT THRU EARLY TUES MORNING
           FLOOD STAGE  41.3 FT, DANGER STAGE  42.3 FT

FEATHER RIVER AT
   YUBA CITY 1 AM STAGE  68.1 FT
      FORECAST TO FLUCTUATE NEAR  68.0 FT THRU NOON SUNDAY
      THEN FORECAST TO CREST NEAR  69.0 FT  NEAR MIDNIGHT SUNDAY
           MONITOR STAGE  65.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  80.2 FT
           DANGER STAGE  81.2 FT
   NICOLAUS 2 AM STAGE  45.7 FT
      FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR  46.5 FT  NEAR NOON MONDAY
      THEN FORECAST TO RECEDE TO NEAR  45.5 FT   TUES MORNING
           MONITOR STAGE  40.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  48.0 FT
           DANGER STAGE  49.0 FT

CLEAR LAKE AT
   LAKEPORT 2 AM STAGE   7.3 FT
      FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR   8.0 FT   MON AFTERNOON
      WITH CONTINUED RISE EXPECTED
           MONITOR STAGE   8.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE   9.0 FT

CACHE CREEK AT
   RUMSEY 2 AM STAGE   7.3 FT
      FORECAST TO RECEDE TO NEAR   5.5 FT  NEAR NOON SUNDAY
      THEN FORECAST TO FLUCTUATE NEAR   5.5 FT THRU EARLY MON MORNING
           MONITOR STAGE  12.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  14.0 FT

   YOLO 2 AM STAGE  80.1 FT
      FORECAST TO FALL BELOW MONITOR STAGE   SUN MORNING
      THEN FORECAST TO RECEDE TO NEAR  57.0 FT  NEAR MIDNIGHT SUNDAY
      THEN FORECAST TO FLUCTUATE NEAR  57.5 FT THRU  MON MORNING
           MONITOR STAGE  75.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  81.0 FT

YOLO BYPASS AT    LISBON 2 AM STAGE  22.1 FT
      FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR  24.5 FT   MON MORNING
      THEN FORECAST TO CREST NEAR  25.0 FT  EARLY TUES MORNING
           MONITOR STAGE  14.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  20.0 FT
           DANGER STAGE  27.2 FT

SACRAMENTO RIVER AT    I STREET 2 AM STAGE  26.4 FT
      FORECAST TO RISE TO NEAR  27.5 FT  EARLY MON MORNING
      THEN FORECAST TO FLUCTUATE NEAR  28.0 FT THRU EARLY TUES MORNING
           MONITOR STAGE  25.0 FT, FLOOD STAGE  31.0 FT
           DANGER STAGE  32.0 FT

UNLISTED FORECAST POINTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW MONITOR STAGE.
ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY RIVER CONDITIONS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPID CHANGES & FOR POSSIBLE FORECAST REVISIONS.

MONITOR STAGE.
INITIAL ACTION STAGE.ALONG UNLEVEED SECTIONS OF THE RIVER.
OVERBANK FLOWS MAY COVER LOW-LYING LANDS & LOCAL ROADS.  ALONG
FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT LEVEES.LEVEE PATROLS BECOME MANDATORY. AT A
WEIR.THE  POINT AT WHICH OVERFLOW BEGINS AT A WEIR.

FLOOD STAGE.
ALONG UNLEVEED SECTIONS OF THE RIVER.OVERBANK FLOWS ARE OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE INUNDATION OF LAND & ROADS.OR SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO LIFE & PROPERTY.  ALONG  FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT LEVEES.THIS IS THE STAGE AT WHICH THE FLOW WITHIN THE LEVEE IS AT MAX DESIGN CAPACITY.

DANGER STAGE. - ALONG FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT LEVEES.FLOW IS GREATER THAN MAX
DESIGN CAPACITY.  THIS IS GENERALLY ONE FOOT ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. $$ POWELL

Floods continue in parts of Calif. wine country
Sun Jan 1, 2006 9:44 PM ET

By Kimberly White

FORESTVILLE, Calif., Jan 1 (Reuters) - Heavy rains continued to cause flooding in towns across Northern California's wine country on Sunday, with more stormy weather expected into Monday, the National Weather Service said.

One man, DeeWayne Jackson, 63, died on Saturday when a tree fell on him in a park in Vacaville during the storm, the Solano County Coroner's Office said.

Days of heavy storms swelled rivers and caused flooding and disruption in Napa, the heart of a region renowned for its wines, as well as in other towns north of San Francisco.

"Minor flooding is expected along the upper Napa River late Sunday evening and minor flooding is expected along the upper Russian River late tonight and Monday morning," the service said late on Sunday.

Major flooding hit Guerneville in Sonoma County, the largest resort town along the Russian River, an area of giant redwood trees where some businesses and homes were under water.

"People are reluctant to leave the river area, so there is concern there, especially if the rains continue," said Jean Alves, spokeswoman of the Sonoma County emergency operations center.

Poor road conditions also forced the closure of the main casino in the region, she said.

Officials in Napa, which saw flooding on its streets on Saturday, said the worst had passed and added the Napa River was below flood levels by Sunday afternoon. The 4,000 people who were displaced were allowed back, with some finding homes damaged by water or mudslides.

UNDAUNTED RESIDENTS

In Forestville on Sunday, a two-lane road leading into neighboring Guerneville remained flooded, as were several streets in the area. But local residents appeared undaunted, going about their daily activities as the rain returned.    

One couple walked their dog as they tried to survey the flood damage to houses and trailers. Another couple drove to the edge of a flooded street with their groceries, then hopped into a small boat and rowed to their house.

Risks remained, and one driver surveying the region had to brake to avoid a falling tree.

Authorities reported plucking some people from the waters, in some cases by carrying them out on their backs and in others by using a helicopter.

Some agricultural land was flooded, and officials said it was too early to assess material damage. Initial reports suggested that the flooding would not cause significant long-term damage to grape production because vineyards were not growing grapes in the winter season.

Forecasters called for between 2 and 4 inches (5 and 10 cm) of rain to fall across the wine country and Southern California beginning on Sunday.

"A couple inches of rain can really affect those areas in San Diego County that were hit by wildfires last year, causing flash floods," said Pete Weisser, a spokesman for the Department of Water Resources.

Rain was expected during Pasadena's annual Rose Parade on Monday for the first time in a half century. The last time the "rain or shine" event saw any rain was in 1955.

A few seemed to welcome the inclement weather, however, with some surfers and windsurfers taking to the water across the coast to take advantage of high winds and heavy surf.    


© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

 
Area man dies in storm
Watery road overwhelms Crows Landing man's Kia and carries it into a creek


BRYAN PATRICK/THE SACRAMENTO BEE



 JEFF CHIU/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


 

The New Year's storms hammering Northern California appear to have contributed to the death of a Crows Landing man whose car was swept into Orestimba Creek after it hit a patch of flooded roadway.

Hector Alvarez, 41, died on New Year's Eve after the red Kia he was driving went into the creek near Newman, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department reported. Two people in the car were rescued.

Stanislaus County sheriff's reports say two cars, both carrying relatives of Alvarez's, were on Eastin Road near Anderson Road about 9:30 p.m., when they hit water pooled in the road.

The Kia went into the creek, and three family members were dragged down by the fastmoving water, said Sgt. Kevin Davis.

Rescue workers from the Newman Fire Department threw ropes into the creek and pulled out two people who were about 20 feet from the bank, Davis said, but could not reach Alvarez in time.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In Northern California, heavy rain and wind caused more flooding and prompted evacuations in the waterlogged wine country of Sonoma and Napa counties.

By Sunday evening, 3 inches of new rainfall again threatened to flood the Napa River and keep the Russian River pouring over its banks.

"It's coming in wetter and windier than expected over Northern California," said Arthur Hinojosa, chief hydrologist with the state Department of Water Resources.

Further inland, strong winds sent water over the top of a levee in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, forcing the evacuation of up to 100 residents from the community of Twitchell Island in Sacramento County, officials said.

Along the Sacramento River near Collinsville in Solano County, several dozen people were evacuated as the strong winds threw the water over levee walls, cracking them under the pressure, said Paula Toynbee, spokeswoman for the Solano County Sheriff's Department.

"It's getting worse. It's actually tearing apart," Toynbee said.

Although there wasn't much rain in the Modesto area, wind caused problems. Three Modesto Irrigation District crews plus four trouble-shooters spent much of the day repairing power problems, MID spokeswoman Maree Hawkins said. Most of the trouble was caused by trees falling into power lines.

It was the same in Turlock, where the Turlock Irrigation District reported several power failures throughout the city.

Electricity was out throughout much of Emanuel Medical Center on Sunday night, a hospital spokeswoman said. Generators kept the hospital operating and no patients were in danger, a nursing supervisor said.

Storm winds fell trees

Modesto firefighters kept busy, too, but with trees, not fires. The storm knocked down many trees, including some that crashed into homes and others that blocked streets.

Two trees fell outside the entrance to the Cedar Creek condominium complex, and another came down at 2033 Trent Drive.

The trunk of a large Modesto ash split, and the tree threatened to crush a nearby apartment at Garden East, at 1213 Norwegian Ave. To protect the family of four that lived there, which included a pregnant woman, firefighters contacted the Red Cross, which arranged for temporary housing.

A large tree fell Sunday at 202 Olive Ave. in Modesto, causing minor damage to a house, knocking down power and phone lines and blocking the street.

South of Modesto, the weather service issued a flood watch, as rain continued to pound areas in Merced County. Atwater recorded 1.28 inches of rain and Los Banos soaked up 1.71 inches.

In Modesto, MID's gauge measured just 0.03 inch of rain, while Turlock to the south had 0.92 inch and Manteca to the north had 0.52.

In the Sierra, Interstate 80 was reopened Sunday, a day after mudslides shut down the roadway about 25 miles west of Reno.

Crews worked overnight to remove more than 130 truckloads of rock and dirt after heavy rain halted temporarily, said Mark Dinger, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation.

Chain requirements were posted on Highway 108 east of Long Barn in Tuolumne County and on Highway 4 in Calaveras County.

Heavy snow was reported in the Badger Pass area of Yosemite National Park.

Homes made a muddy mess

Residents of Guerneville in Sonoma County continued to grapple with the Russian River, which remained above flood stage after it crested earlier in the day at 42feet, 10 feet above flood stage.

The additional rain Sunday threatened to keep the river above flood stage at least until Tuesday morning.

At its highest level, water gushed into portions of the city, flooding an unknown number of homes but sparing the downtown area, Linda Eubanks of Sonoma County's Office of Emergency Services, said Sunday.

Officials continued to evacuate residents late Sunday.

Longtime residents Roger and Isa James raced up to their property from Southern California on Sunday but were too late to move their already-soaked ground floor possessions.

"Our friends said, 'Don't worry, don't rush,' but they guessed wrong," Roger James said. "But we look at the floods this way, that every 10 years or so, you are forced to clean up and toss out stuff that you don't use."

In the Marin County town of San Anselmo, about 20 miles north of San Francisco, streets were coated with mud as residents began the arduous task of drying out their flooded homes and business owners sifted through mounds of damaged goods as rain continued to fall.

"We got hit very hard. It's all pretty soggy and muddy up here," town Administrator Debbie Stutsman said Sunday. "People are shoveling out today."

A creek poured over its banks Saturday, flooding about 50 downtown businesses under some 4 feet of water, Stutsman said, adding that initial assessments put the damage at about $10 million. Two people rescued from the rising water there on Saturday were hospitalized with hypothermia.

Water level dropped Sunday in the Napa River at Napa, where the river reached 5 feet above flood stage, sending a surge of water into several blocks of downtown. By Sunday evening, the water was expected to return to near flood stage several miles upstream at St. Helena.

Napa officials estimated that 1,000 homes and an unknown number of businesses were flooded. A layer of mud and debris coated city streets Sunday.

The Napa River also inundated thousands of acres of wine country land throughout Napa County, officials estimated.

Saturday's storm dumped an average of 4 to 5 inches of rain in Northern California, with parts of Marin County recording more than 7 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Napa County were drenched by up to 9 inches of rain in less than 24 hours.

In Southern California, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for areas left blackened by recent wildfires.

There were also high wind watches for the mountains and a surf advisory.

More than 600,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers from Bakersfield to the Oregon border experienced power failures during the storm.

About 175,000 customers were without power Sunday night after gusts up to 60 mph knocked down more lines and transformers.

"The magnitude of this storm is tremendous, it's widespread," said PG&E spokeswoman Jann Taber. "We have 1,062 crews in the field. We're working around the clock to restore power."

More rain is expected today and could be heavy at times, forecasters predict. That storm should pass by Tuesday.

Fog is expected to return in the Northern San Joaquin Valley on Wednesday and remain through the week, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

Bee staff writers Lorena Anderson and J.N. Sbranti contributed to this report.

At least 59 killed in floods in central Indonesia
(Filed: 03/01/2006)

The death toll from devastating floods in Indonesia's East Java region has risen to at least 59, officials in the area said.

   
Avalanches of mud and water swamped villages

Hundreds of rescue workers and soldiers are struggling to reach villages devastated by floods and landslides.

The bodies of 57 villagers have been found, Eddy Susilo, head of the Information Ministry branch in a nearby town, said. Two rescue workers had also drowned in swollen rivers.

Heavy rains late on New Year's Day triggered the floods and landslides at six hillside villages near Jember, around 500 miles east of the Indonesian capital Jakarta.

Most of the villagers lived on coffee plantations and riverbanks where many trees had been felled, stripping the area of natural protection from such a disaster.

Muhammad Suryadi, a member of the state disaster management agency, said a few villages were still cut off because of collapsed bridges and landslides.

The continuing rain in the region has slowed the evacuation operation, and the mud is waist-deep in some villages.

Indonesia flood toll hits 63, villages cut off
Tue Jan 3, 2006 5:53 AM E
By Sigit Pamungkas

KEMIRI, Indonesia (Reuters) - Hundreds of rescue workers and soldiers struggled on Tuesday to reach villages devastated by floods and landslides in Indonesia's East Java as the known death toll climbed to 63.

Eddy Susilo, head of the Information Ministry branch in the town of Jember, not far from the scene, said the bodies of 61 villagers had been found. Two rescue workers had also drowned in swollen rivers on Tuesday, he added.

Heavy rains late on Sunday triggered the floods and landslides at six hillside villages near Jember, around 800 km (500 miles) east of Jakarta.

Most of the villagers lived on coffee plantations and river banks where many trees had been felled, stripping the area of natural protection from such a disaster.

A few villages were still cut off because of collapsed bridges and landslides blocking access, said Muhammad Suryadi of the state disaster management agency.

"Thousands have sought refuge and more than 300 can't get out," Suryadi said.

As well as the fast-flowing rivers, sporadic rains was slowing evacuation efforts, rescue officials said.

One survivor said he had fled with his baby to nearby woods after surging water killed his wife and flattened his home. They had not eaten since Sunday evening, he said, after arriving in the village of Kemiri, where rescuers are based.

"I am depressed because I lost my wife and my house. The only one left is my baby," said Ratimin, 38.

His baby looked pale and virtually lifeless.

In Kemiri, around 100 soldiers used fallen trees to build emergency bridges to try to cross raging waterways and reach those in need.  

LOGGING EXPOSED VILLAGERS

Mud was waist deep in some parts of Kemiri, where an avalanche of mud had flattened most houses along the river bank.

Flooding and landslides are common in tropical Indonesia. Many mudslides are caused by illegal logging or clearing farmland that removes natural protection.

"How did the mud smash through if not because of the lack of barriers?" Susilo told Reuters.

"Residents say if they don't cut trees, others will. This is what happens in the end. The forest looks thick from afar but when you enter you can see chopped areas in the middle."

One local politician blamed corporate coffee planters.

"Those who cut the trees are now watching the disaster on television while villagers suffer," said Suyoto, a member of the East Java legislative council.

Separately, landslides killed two people in a hillside village in Central Java, local media reported.

(Additional reporting by Heri Retnowati in Surabaya)

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Nearly 200 dead, missing in Indonesia slides

Villagers dig with bare hands to rescue survivors in latest catastrophe

Image: Search for Indonesia landslide victims.
Volunteers search for landslide victims at a collapsed house during a downpour in the village of Cijeruk, some 230 miles east of the capital Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday.
Bay Ismoyo / AFP - Getty Images
• Indonesian mudslides
More than 190 people missing or dead after monsoon rains cause mudslides in central Java, Indonesia.
Updated: 2:06 p.m. ET Jan. 4, 2006

CIJERUK, Indonesia - A landslide caused by days of pounding rain buried a small village beneath tons of mud and rock Wednesday, bringing the number of dead or missing from days of wet weather in central Indonesia to more than 190, officials said.

The landslide sent mud, rocks and trees cascading onto the Java island village of Cijeruk before dawn, when many residents were still asleep or were praying at the local mosque. Officials said 14 bodies had been recovered and about 100 more residents were missing and feared dead in the village, about 210 miles east of the capital Jakarta.

In the district of Jember, also on Java, the death toll from landslides and flash floods this week climbed to 77 after 14 more bodies were recovered, said local government spokesman Edi Susilo. Dozens were still missing or stranded.

Jember is about 280 miles east of Cijeruk.

Saryono, a 50-year-old fruit farmer in Cijeruk, said he watched helplessly as dozens of his neighbors were buried alive, some of them screaming as they disappeared beneath thick clay-like mud more than 20 feet deep in some spots.

 
“They were yelling 'Allah Akhbar! (God is great!)’ and then were slowly buried,” said Saryono, who goes by one name. “I saw them buried alive.”

Saryono was trapped waist deep as he watched 20 to 30 of his neighbors vanish. He was rescued 15 minutes later by other survivors.

Many people in Cijeruk said they were aware the earth on the 50-yard hill that flanked their village may not hold. After hearing a deep rumbling and cracking sound at about 1 a.m. Wednesday, they fled to safer ground.

While residents and police dug through the mud with bare hands to search for survivors, officials held out little hope for the more than 100 people still missing in the remote farming community. Only 14 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday evening.

“We think 100 people may have been buried,” regional official Hadi Supeno said.

At least two excavators were helping shove aside earth and the remains of decimated wooden homes in search of the missing.

5,400 made homeless
Meanwhile, in Jember, which was struck by landslides and flash floods Monday, helicopters ferried away the injured while soldiers and police wrapped white sheets around newly discovered corpses.

Many roads and bridges were destroyed, hampering rescue efforts, Susilo said.

The local government scrambled to provide food, shelter and medicine to more than 5,400 people made homeless when mud, water and logs crashed into their villages, destroying hundreds of homes.

Heavy tropical downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous regions and near fertile flood plains close to rivers.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono plans to visit the affected sites in Java on Thursday.

© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
 
1,000 miles of devastation
      By Adam LeBor

      The worst Danube floods for a century have brought chaos and destruction to three countries

      THE Blue Danube of legend was yesterday a torrent of brackish floodwater after it burst its banks in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, causing widespread destruction and raising fears of mass evacuations.
          
      Romanian officials began a programme of controlled flooding, after the Danube reached its highest levels for more than a century, to prevent low-lying villages being submerged.

      The floods have been caused by high rainfall and melting snow from the harsh Balkan winter. Hundreds of houses have been flooded in the region and thousands of people have been made homeless.

      In Romania the waters flowed at a record rate of 15,900 cubic metres per second. The normal flow for this time of year is 7,900 cubic metres per second.

      "We are going through an unprecedented situation. Romania has never had such water levels," said Madalin Mihailovici, director of the Agency for Romanian Waters.

      Tens of thousands of hectares of farmland have been deliberately submerged after Romanian officials breached a dam and declared the move an initial success.

      "The water flow has fallen by 200 metres per second. This is a success," said Beatrice Popescu of the Environment Ministry. The effort was aided by the collapse of a dam in southwest Romania, which flooded nearby farmland.

      Officials have commandeered tractors, bulldozers and other vehicles, but efforts have been hampered by the legacy of last summer's floods that caused widespread damage.

      The Romanian-Serbian border region, where the Danube forms the frontier between the two countries, has been badly hit. In the Romanian town of Bazias, the heavy rains and melting snow triggered a flood that covered 5,000 hectares (12,400 acres) on the Danube's northern bank.

      In Serbia, officials declared a state of emergency in ten regions as all four of its rivers, the Danube, the Sava, the Tisa and the Tamis, rose to record levels. Thousands of troops were deployed to build up defences against the waters and stack sandbags along the riverbanks.

      The Agriculture Ministry said that 223,000 hectares (550,000 acres) were under water. Parts of Belgrade, the capital, where the Danube meets the Sava, have been flooded for days, and telephones in riverside areas have stopped working. Officials made a public appeal for local people to help to reinforce collapsing embankments.

      Officials in the town of Smederovo, 39km (24 miles) east of Belgrade, were directing a frantic attempt to build new riverbanks for the Danube using heavy construction equipment and deploying hundreds of volunteers to pile up sandbags after its fortress, port and train station were flooded. The Danube reached more than 8 metres (26ft) above its highest-ever level, flooding at least 300 houses and forcing their inhabitants to evacuate. Sirens wailed over the eastern town of Golubac after the river burst its banks and flooded the city centre.

      Bulgarian officials called on elderly people, children and women to evacuate the northwestern city of Vidin after the Danube's waters reached a record level of 9.4 metres. Schools and municipal offices were closed, while Ivan Tsenov, the mayor, said that all 50,000 inhabitants should be prepared to leave if necessary.

      Bulgaria asked neighbouring Serbia and Romania to restrict the release of waters at the Iron Gates dam on the Danube for fear of inundating Vidin.
    

AS FLOOD WATERS FALL, DAMAGE ESTIMATES RISE
05:21 PM PST on Thursday, November 9, 2006
Associated Press and KING Staff Reports
SEATTLE - As flood waters go down in Western Washington, damage estimates come up.

Heavy rains in the past week have damaged homes, roads and other property along rivers. Cleaning up and adding up the damage will take days, if not weeks.

Governor Christine Gregoire Thursday added six counties to her emergency proclamation for fall flooding. The added counties are Island, Kittitas, Klickitat, San Juan, Skamania and Yakima.

The state of emergency now includes 24 counties. The original proclamation on Nov. 6 covered Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum and Whatcom counties.

Releasing water

The White River was already overflowing when the Army Corps of Engineers released even more water into the river Thursday. That excess water came down to Pacific, moving close to some homes. But Pacific's mayor said it's as bad as its going to get.

"It is going to cause a little bit of property damage to the city park and to the infrastructure, but it's not going to cost anybody their home and it's not going to cost anybody their life," said Pacific Mayor Richard Hildreth.

The Corps is doing the same exercise with a couple of other dams that affects the Cedar and Green rivers.

During this week's heavy rains a pipe that carries wastewater to the Hoquiam treatment plant broke and spilled 8 million gallons into Grays Harbor. With all the storm run-off, it took officials several days to discover the problem and notify the state Health Department and Ecology Department. Hoquiam's sewer system dates back to the 1950s.

The Corps of Engineers was called to inspect dikes along the Cowlitz River in Lewis County, where heavy rains sent the river over its banks, flooding homes in Packwood and the nearby valley town of Randle.

Crews were forced to shut down a section of the North Cascades Highway due to a cracked culvert that has damaged the roadway. The trouble spot is at milepost 112 near Newhalem.

The highway is now closed from Diablo to 9 miles west of Mazama. Only local traffic is getting through.

Floodwaters from swollen creeks and rivers also damaged roads and destroyed campgrounds at nearby Mount Rainier National Park. Superintendent Dave Uberuaga called the damage "sobering," and said it would be at least several weeks before the park reopens to visitors.

Two deaths reported

The storm was blamed for two deaths, both along the Cowlitz River. A 20-year-old elk hunter from Seattle died Monday and another man on Tuesday. Both had driven their trucks into standing water.

AP

Mike and Mary Nichols' house located along Raging Creek in Preston, Wash. The home was destroyed by flooding caused by several days of rain. The Nichols were due to move out of the house in two weeks.

While river levels were dropping, some were still at flood stage, with recovery and damage assessment still days away.

In Skagit County, the Skagit River was on its way down. It was still above flood stage of 28 feet in Mount Vernon late Thursday morning but had dipped below flood stage at 25.75 feet in Concrete, the weather service said.

The Skagit County town of Hamilton remains covered in mud. Maintenance crews are just now getting to the muck that was left behind by the flooding Skagit River. After years of flooding, there's talk of moving the entire town to the other side of Highway 20, away from the Skagit River.

In Snohomish County, John Pennington, emergency management director for Snohomish County, told The Herald newspaper: "It is safe to assume there are millions of dollars in damages in this county."

The Snohomish River flooded at least 100 homes and closed 54 roads during the height of the storm. Two hundred people had to be evacuated. The Snohomish was expected to remain at flood stage through Friday.

The flood tore up 1,000 feet of Burlington Northern Sante Fe's main track to Chicago in Snohomish County, said Gus Melonas, railway spo kesman.

KING

Water is released from the Mud Mountain Dam.

Just past Sultan, the Army Corps of Engineers is scrambling to patch up a crumbling start-up levy. It was discovered that up to 200 feet of the levy had been damaged.

In Pierce County, south of Seattle, receding waters gave crews a chance to repair damage to a levee south of Orting on the Carbon River. "It's kind of like where the water punched holes in the levees," said spokeswoman Barbara Nelson with the county's emergency management office.

In King County, which includes Seattle, the Snoqualmie River Valley was hardest hit by floodwaters after the river crested near Carnation at 61.17 feet - 7 feet above flood level. There were no major evacuations.

On Wednesday, crews surveyed roads and levee systems. "The damage is unknown at this point to bridges and roads," said Jaime Quick, spokesman for King County Emergency Management.

King County officials planned to release water Thursday from dams on the Green and Cedar rivers to increase their flood-storage capacity for coming storms. In addition to these rivers, flood alerts remained on the White, Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers and at Issaquah Creek.

Flood victims were being asked to report losses to county officials, who will assess public works damage - road washouts, weakened bridges, damaged dikes - and funnel all the figures to the state to aid its request for federal aid.

The state Office of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will have crews on the ground next week, said state spokesman Rob Harper. They can't go earlier because "we still need to get water out of places," he said. County data will lay the groundwork for on-site surveys.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, November 10, 2006 · Last updated 6:44 a.m. PT

Wash. flooding closes Mount Rainier park

By SHANNON DININNY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Nearly 18 inches of rain in 36 hours.

That's how much fell at Mount Rainier National Park, one of the crown jewels of the Pacific Northwest, and more rain and snow is forecast through the weekend.

The deluge on Monday and Tuesday swamped roads and bridges, cut power and sewer lines, and forced park officials to close the gates for the first time in 26 years. The basic cleanup will take weeks, and in some places, park officials say they won't know the extent of the damage until after the snow melts in the spring.

"Some places get that much rain in a year, and we had it in 36 hours," said park spokeswoman Lee Taylor. "When we were finally able to get out and start assessing the damage, it was a very sobering day."

The Pineapple Express storm, named for its origin in warm Pacific waters, wreaked havoc across the region. It damaged hundreds of homes, washed out a major highway near Oregon's Mount Hood, closed part of the North Cascades Highway in Washington, and was blamed for at least three deaths in the two states.

Most river levels were down on Friday, and the National Weather Service said the precipitation through the weekend wasn't expected to cause more flooding, in part, because most falling in the mountains was expected to be snow. Still, recovery and damage assessments, particularly in hard-hit parts of Western Washington, are likely to take weeks.

At Mount Rainier, the Nisqually River engulfed the main scenic highway through the park and left a quarter-mile gash in Nisqually Road. The river now flows where a campground once stood.

All other roads in the park were already closed for the winter, but they also suffered extensive damage. Search-and-rescue teams were tracking down elk hunters between Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens who could find themselves trapped by washed out roads or mudslides.

The Nisqually River also took out the main power line, cutting electricity for the western half of the park, as well as the main sewer line at Longmire, where a historic inn sits.

"An optimistic estimate for repairs is two weeks for some road access. Utility repair work could still take longer, which would mean there are still no services at Longmire," Taylor said. "We're hoping we can have normal operations for the Christmas holiday."

Christmas is typically a busy time at Mount Rainier, with rangers offering guided snowshoe walks, cross-country skiers hitting the trails and sledders taking to the base of the mountain. The now closed Nisqually Road is key to those activities, as well as to construction work on the Paradise Inn, an aging lodge built in 1917.

Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga flew over the area Thursday to assess the damage and was working to determine a cost estimate for repairs. In the meantime, crews were furiously working to fix the main road.

"Our focus is on the winter access route, so we can get that open again," Taylor said. "But if we aren't able to do repair work now, then it will have to wait until the spring melt-out, and that could delay some of the spring openings here."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Northwest Rain Eases, Toll Up to 3 Dead
By TIM FOUGHT 11.08.06, 1:01 PM ET

The body of a woman who disappeared on a storm-battered beach was found Wednesday, the third death during a wave of stormy weather in the Pacific Northwest that smashed rainfall records and threatened hundreds of homes, authorities said.

The search continued for the woman's companion.

The Pineapple Express storm, named for its origin over the warm Pacific Ocean, had abated Wednesday after sending rivers over their banks Monday and Tuesday, causing millions of dollars in damage.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared an emergency in coastal Tillamook County, where about 100 people were evacuated because of rising water.

The two women were last seen walking on the beach near Gleneden Beach on Tuesday. Lt. Vicky Ryan of the Depoe Bay Fire District said she saw the women and "cautioned them to not go out on the beach because of the high water."

They apparently moved to another stretch of beach, she said. The body of one of the women was found Wednesday, Ryan said. She didn't say where the body was found, saying she couldn't release more information until relatives were notified.

Two deaths were reported in Washington state, a hunter whose pickup truck was swept into the Cowlitz River and a man who ignored road closure signs and whose vehicle was swept into the same river.

Near Gleneden Beach, 15 to 20 dump trucks hauled gravel to shore up the foundations of three houses whose foundations were threatened by erosion.

Ryan said Wednesday that 300 truckloads of rock had been dumped behind and below the homes as barriers against surf gnawing at the land.

Some highways and numerous local roads were closed Wednesday because of high water, mud and rock slides or flood damage. A section of Interstate 5 southwest of Seattle was reopened early Wednesday after being closed for about nine hours because of high water.

In Snohomish, about 25 miles north of Seattle, flooding entered the municipal sewage treatment plant and damaged a diversion dam on the Pilchuck River. Larry Bauman, town planner, said countywide damage would likely exceed the $5 million caused by flooding in 2003.

"This is a catastrophic event," Bauman said.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire had declared an emergency for 18 counties on Monday, authorizing the National Guard and the Emergency Management Division to offer assistance. Helicopters and hovercraft were put to work making rescues.

Rainfall records were set Monday across western Washington, including 8.22 inches at Stampede Pass, which broke an all-time record for a 24-hour period there of 7.29 inches, set on Nov. 19, 1962. Olympia had a record for the date at 4.31 inches.

The storm dumped up to 15 inches on Oregon by Tuesday, mostly along the coast.

At least one house was swept away and nearly 300 homes and cabins were threatened when the Cowlitz River rose out of its banks and changed course near Packwood, Wash., south of Mount Rainier, said sheriff's deputy Stacy Brown.

Associated Press writers Curt Woodward in Olympia, Wash., Donna Gordon Blankinship in Seattle and Annie Shooman in Portland, Ore., contributed to this report.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

;
 
 
 
WEATHER EXTREMES - 2006

WEATHER DATABASE

DREAMS OF THE GREAT EARTHCHANGES - MAIN INDEX