Protecting Your Home from Natural Disasters

Flooding Concerns - Groundwater and the Willamette River

Living in a town that has less than 1' of elevation change in all directions, and on the banks of the beautiful Willamette River, exposes Harrisburg to the vagaries of Mother Nature during storm seasons.

If you live in an area of town that is often impacted by higher ground water, or if you live in the northwestern corner of town, you should pay attention to weather warnings that indicate heavy rain for any period of time.  Here are some tips for those of you who live in these areas.

• If you have a ditch located on your property, or that runs along your property line, than you are responsible for keeping your part of the ditch in good working order.  Don't allow debris to accumulate in this area, or block the inlet's/outlets.  If you have concerns because a neighbor is not taking care of his/her section of the ditch, and you believe it will impact your property, then please call Public Works or the Code Enforcement Officer at 541-995-6655. 
• If you traditionally have high water near your home in heavy rain periods, make sure that there aren't tools, yard art, toys or other small items that could be carried away by the water.   Its never fun to recover broken tools or garden art that has been carried away to a neighbor's property; or might never be seen again.
• If you typically have high water near your property, you might want to consider obtaining flood insurance. 95% of Harrisburg is not in the 100-year floodplain and rates are comparative to earthquake coverage.  Call your insurance agent for more information. Flood insurance needs to be purchased, and in place, prior to any possible flood events in order for your property to have coverage. They will also have additional resources available to you.
• If you live in a flood hazard area in the northwestern part of town, (Territorial St.) please be aware that FEMA is advising everyone to consider purchasing flood hazard insurance, due to increased debris flow in the Willamette River this year caused by the burn damage from the fires this fall.  If you live in this area of town, and would like to know which flood hazard area you are located in, please contact Michele Eldridge, at 541-995-6655. 

The fire burned areas that are located upriver from Harrisburg, increase the possibility of both a greater volume of water in the river, as well as carrying high amounts of debris.  The debris can impact the flow of the river, causing more damage to property that is adjacent to it.  While it's been a while since the Willamette has flooded enough to impact properties inside the City Limits, it certainly is always a possibility.   Think ahead, and be prepared for any emergencies. 

There are lots of resources available to homeowners, renters, and communities.  Linn County and the Linn County Sheriff's Office did a great job managing the horrific fires that occurred this last fall.  LCSO manages the Emergency Management Plan that Harrisburg is part of.   You can find some of these resources by following the links below:

 https://www.linnsheriff.org/community-resources/emergency-preparedness/

http://www.co.linn.or.us/

https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/outreach-resources

https://www.ready.gov/be-informed