.
. >>
. >> WELCOME BACK.
CHECK OUT SOME COMMENTS.
WE'RE GOING GET TO A FEW
OF THOSE IN JUST A SECOND.
MEANWHILE, I KNOW A LOT OF YOU
ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO TOWN LIKE
MYSELF BUT I HEAR FROM A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE THEIR
ENTIRE LIVES AND KNOW A LOT
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS
PLACE.
PLACE.
PLACE. SO
PLACE. SO FOR >> THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE
LIVED HERE FOR A WHILE, I KNOW
YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED
TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
IN FEBRUARY OF NINETEEN NINETY
SIX.
SIX.
SIX. I
SIX. I KNOW IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK BUT
I'LL GIVE YOU A HINT THIS ONE
HAD TO DO WITH FLOODING LOTS
AND LOTS OF FLOODING.
>> LET'S GO INTO THE KGW BOWL
WITH THE HELP OF BRENDA
BRACKENBURY OREGON UNDERWATER
>> THE PERFECT >> STORM MADE
WAVES THROUGH THE WILLAMETTE
VALLEY AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
A WINTER OF SNOW AND ICE
FOLLOWED BY WARM RAIN LED TO
THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FLOODING
HIT THE STATE SINCE 1964.
THESE SHOULD NORMALLY BE
STREETS, NOT RIVERS, NOT CANALS
BUT STREETS, >> BODIES OF WATER
ALL OVER THE STATE OVERFLOWING
THE WILLAMETTE ROSE TO MORE
THAN TWENTY EIGHT FEET ENDING
UP 10 FEET ABOVE FLOOD LEVELS
THREATENING TO WASH OVER TOM
MACALL WATERFRONT PARK.
THE FLOODING WAS SO BAD IN THE
ROSE CITY THEN MAYOR VERA KATZ
ASKED CITY WORKERS
AND VOLUNTEERS TO BUILD A WALL
ALONG THE WATERFRONT TO KEEP
THE WILLAMETTE FROM OVERFLOWING
INTO DOWNTOWN >> THE RIVER >>
SWALLOWED LANDMARK.
SWALLOWED LANDMARK. WE ARE I BELIEVE THAT IS OAK
PARK DOWN BELOW US NOW IN THE
MIDDLE OF ST. STREET YOU CAN
SEE WHAT HAPPENED LAKE OSWEGO
SIMPLY FLOWED OVER THE WALLS
AND RIGHT INTO DOWNTOWN AND NOW
IT IS AT LEAST KNEE DEEP FOR
ABOUT A TWO BLOCK AREA AND THE
COLUMBIA RIVER ROSE ALONG
VANCOUVER SHORE'S AGAIN THIS IS
THE COLUMBIA RIVER THAT IS UP
THIS HIGH AND IT IS EXPECTED TO
COME UP A LITTLE HIGHER.
EIGHT PEOPLE DIED.
HOMES WERE DESTROYED, LIVESTOCK
WAS LOST AND HUNDREDS
OF MUDSLIDES COVERED THE
FREEWAYS FROM SALEM TO
TILLAMOOK COUNTY, OREGON CITY
AND TO QUALITY.
THERE WAS NO ESCAPING THE HIGH
WATER LEAVING HOMEOWNERS WITH
FEW OPTIONS.
FEW OPTIONS. THIS IS THE MASTER BEDROOM HERE
THIS PBOT WINDOW EXCEPT
SANDBAGS LOTS AND LOTS
OF SANDBAGS.
OF SANDBAGS. YOU CAN SEE OVER HERE THE GUY
THAT OWNS THIS HOUSE HAS
SANDBAGGED IT ALL THE WAY UP TO
ABOUT TWO AND A HALF FEET.
THE GREAT FLOOD OF 96 CAUSED
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
WORTH OF DAMAGE, FORCED THE
NATIONAL GUARD TO DEPLOY
AND LED TO A VISIT FROM THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF >> PRESIDENT
CLINTON WILL LEAVE THE WHITE
HOUSE AT DAWN AND LAND IN
PORTLAND AROUND 9:00 IN THE
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. YOU WILL HAVE OUR HELP I ASSURE
YOU OF THAT AND THE JOB
OF CLEANING UP AND REBUILDING.
BUT IN THOSE LONG WET SOMETIMES
DEVASTATING DAYS OF LATE
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AS WE WENT
THROUGH THE ARCHIVES WE FOUND
STORY AFTER STORY OF NEIGHBORS
DROPPING EVERYTHING TO LEND A
HAND.
HAND.
HAND. THIS IS WHERE THAT'S WHERE THE
PROBLEM IS TODAY.
SO WE THOUGHT WE'D COME OUT
AND HELP FOR A WHILE.
EVERYBODY IS PITCHING IN.
OH, THEY'RE ANGELS.
THEY'RE JUST INCHES.
WELL >>, I HAD THE DAY OFF
AND MY WIFE TOLD ME TO GET OFF
THE COUCH AND COME HELP.
ARE YOU DOING A GOOD JOB?
WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL
NEED EACH OTHER'S HELP AND I'M
GLAD THAT THE COMMUNITIES
DECIDED TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT
>> TOGHETHER IT TOUCHES YOUR
HEART WHEN YOU SEE THE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE DOWN HERE THAT ARE
HELPING OUT THERE EITHER
CAMERON SHOVELING DIGGING
DITCHES OR FEEDING THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE WORKING.
IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE AND I KNOW
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY THAT
I'VE TALKED TO HAVE BEEN JUST
AS TOUCHED IN THEIR HEART
AND JUST AS IMPRESSED WITH THE
EFFORT DOWN HERE.
AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF US WILL
FIND IN OUR MINDS AND HEARTS
THE WISDOM AND STRENGTH TO BE A
LITTLE MORE LIKE THE PEOPLE
OF PORTLAND WERE ON THAT ONE
DAY EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR.
IT SEEMS ONLY FITTING THAT IN
THE MOST TRYING OF TIMES THE
NORTHWEST SPIRIT CAME ALIVE FOR
ALL THE NATION TO SEE.
TINA REMEMBERS THIS PRETTY
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. SHE
WELL. SHE TWEETED HEY DAN, I REMEMBER
THE NINETY SIX FLOOD I WAS A
BUYER FOR FREDDIE'S AND STARTED
MY DAY AT THE TUALATIN STORE BY
THE TIME I GOT HOME TO LAKO ONE
HOUR LATER THE TUALATIN STORE
WAS AN ISLAND TALK ABOUT
HELPER'S JOCKEY UNDERWEAR
DONATED A TRUCKLOAD OF UNDIES
TO TELL THEM WHAT GOT >> A GUY
GOT TO HAVE YOUR