PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Heavy rainfall made for challenging conditions in the Portland metro area Friday as flooding blocked roads and sidewalks with city crews working all day to clear blocked drains.
“Getting home is a little more difficult today,” Angelo Trujillo said of his walk back from work in Troutdale.
Trujillo tried to avoid getting splashed by drivers at Southwest 257th Avenue and Hensley Road.
“A lot of people are nice about it too cause they won’t go as fast as they were, they’ll slow down if they see you but, some people will just run right through it and they’ll spray it,” Trujillo said.
Over the past couple days, Trujillo said his umbrella has been no match for the weather.
“Either way, you can hold your umbrella however you want, but the wind is going to come and pass through it and you’re going to get soaked,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo is looking forward to receding waters and a break in the weather.
“Especially around this week, it’s been raining a whole lot more and a lot harder. I won’t miss that,” Trujillo said.
In Fairview, the city opened a sandbagging station for residents off Crestwood street. In Portland, street flooding also created obstacles including near Naito Parkway and the Morrison Bridge.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation said starting Thursday crews worked 12-15 hour shifts “clearing 60 hard-to-clear, clogged storm drains where water was ponding.”
“Thanks to those crews we’ve been able to prevent a lot of street flooding. But, last night and today, we’ve had more ponding of water than we can get to,” Dylan Rivera of PBOT said.
The Sandy River also looked full to the brim and was running swiftly. The National Weather Service reports that the river crested at a couple feet below flood stage and river levels should now be dropping.
