High Water: Is Island Lakes at risk?

By Charlene Simpson

This winter we heard about destructive floods in Australia, Brazil and Pakistan. We watched news clips of floods in Southern California, Washington and in the Portland area of Oregon. What’s going on? Likely Mother Nature is just going about her business as usual.

Winter 2010-2011

The Pacific Northwest was hit by a one-two punch. First, this is a La Niña year which translates to conditions that are wetter and colder than average. Mountains in the Cascades received abundant snowfall beginning in early November. Second, the Pacific Northwest got a taste of the Pineapple Express which tends to be the wettest-type of storms with an abundance of warm, tropical moisture. Pineapple Expresses also bring high potential for flooding as the warm air and rain melt snow accumulations in the mountains.

January 15-22, 2011

A Pineapple Express slammed into the Pacific Northwest delivering a profusion of rain accompanied by warm temperatures. Counties to the north of us and in Washington took the brunt. Rivers and reservoirs in the Willamette basin filled to capacity. According to an article in the January 22 Eugene Register-Guard, Roger Kline of the US Army Corps of Engineers said that 135,000 cubic feet per second of water streamed into the basin’s 13 reservoirs at the height of the flow. The Willamette River continued to rise for several days after the rain had stopped. Kline added, “We’re releasing the water now. It was flood control as usual and what the dams were designed to do (Palmer, 2011).”

Eugene Area Floods

The Upper Willamette basin stretches from the headwaters of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers to where they join north of Goodpasture Island. This section of the basin drains 2.1 million acres (Science Daily, 2009). The Willamette River, Amazon Creek, and other smaller drainage ways in our community have close to 20,000 acres that are partially or entirely located within the floodplain (Stormwater Connections, 2008).

Historically major floods probably occurred at least once a decade (Alverson, 2000) prior to Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration built dams on the upper reaches of the Willamette River system in the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s.

Floods in December 1942/January 1943 and December 1964 were of historical proportions. Storms in November/December 1996 were every bit as large as those that triggered extensive flooding in earlier years, but upriver dams held back the flow and Eugene survived surface flooding with less damage than most of the county, state and northwest (Stormwater Connections, 1997).

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

In 1968 Congress made FEMA responsible for the creation of flood maps nationwide. FEMA surveyed land near waterways and determined elevation in feet above sea level.

Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) were defined as those where flooding could occur in the event of a 100-year flood, or put another way, where there is a 1 percent chance or greater of flooding in any given year. Keep in mind that these percentages are an average. Statistically 100-year floods could occur in back-to-back years, then not again in 200 years.

FEMA developed the system to measure risk and make federally backed flood insurance available for structures within the high risk zone or not. Coverage is optional, but most lending institutions require insurance before they will underwrite mortgages for structures in harms way.

What are the odds that floods could damage Island Lakes structures?

In a letter dated November 20, 1996, FEMA informed the Association that “…although portions of the property described … would be inundated by the base flood, the existing structures on the property would not be inundated.” Elevation certificates are on file with the City’s Permit & Information Center and are available for review in the Association office. For information visit www.eugene-or.gov and click on Services and then select Flood or Flooding

The letter further cautions Island Lakes that even though its structures are outside the SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area), the property could be inundated by a flood greater than the 100-year base or by flooding conditions not shown on the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) map (FEMA, 1996).

Are Island Lakes Condominium homeowners required to purchase flood insurance?
Eugene participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that makes federally backed flood insurance available for structures whether they are located within the floodplain or not (Stormwater Connections, 2008). To participate in NFIP the City is required to manage its floodplain to meet or exceed FEMA standards. Residents receive a discount on flood insurance.

Standard property insurance typically does not cover flood damage. Federal law requires that structures within Special Flood Hazard Areas be covered by flood insurance if financing is obtained from a federally regulated or insured source – a requirement that affects nearly all mortgages financed through commercial lending institutions (Stormwater Connectons, 2006).
FEMA has certified that Island Lakes structures are not in the Special Flood Hazard Area, therefore purchase of flood insurance is not required by federal law for Island Lakes Condominium home loans.

Lending institution practices

In the past not all lending institutions required insurance. Now nearly all require it and some are reviewing all mortgage loans retroactively. When refinancing a loan, nearly all lending institutions will enforce the flood insurance requirement (Stormwater Connections, 2008).

During the recent real estate market collapse and the tightening of money for home purchase some lending institutions requested that prospective Island Lakes buyers show proof of flood insurance. If this occurs the borrower 1) can provide a certificate of elevation documenting that the structure is outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, although there is no assurance the lender will waive the requirement; 2) can purchase flood insurance; or 3) can shop for another lender.

References:

Alverson, Ed. 2000. “The Changing Natural Environment” in Holt, Kathleen & Cheri Brooks, eds. Eugene 1945-2000: Decisions That Made a Community. The City Club of Eugene. Xlibris Corporation.

City of Eugene. October 2000. Eugene Area Special Flood Hazard map.

City of Eugene Public Works Permit and Information Center website.

FEMA. November 20, 1996. Letter to Janet Beals, Chairman of the Board, Association of Unit Owners, Island Lakes Condominiums.

Palmer, Susan. January 22, 2011. “Rivers, lakes fill to the gills,” Eugene Register-Guard.

Science Daily. March 3, 2009. “Oregon’s Upper Willamette River Basin in U.S. Faces Climate Threats.”

Stormwater Connections. May 1997. “Eugene’s Rainfall Sets a New Record in 1996.” Stormwater Management Program. City of Eugene Public Works, Storm Management Program.

Stormwater Connections. Fall 2006. “Flood Hazard Update.” City of Eugene Public Works, Storm Management Program.

Stormwater Connections. Fall 2008. “Flooding — It can’t happen here: right?” City of Eugene Public Works, Storm Management Program.