The combination of heavy snow in the mountains followed by warm rains sporadically brings serious flooding to Southern Oregon and Northern California valleys.
The New Year鈥檚 Day flood of 1997 was the most devastating in Ashland, Ore., in recent years. A swollen Ashland Creek overflowed its banks, flooding Lithia Park and sending destructive boulders and water into the downtown plaza.
The Ashland Daily Tidings quoted Public Works Director Paula Brown as saying the sound of the boulders coming 鈥渕ade the hair on your arms stand up.鈥�
An earlier flood in February 1927 also led to havoc in Ashland, destroying one bridge and damaging several others.
Peter Finkle recently wrote in the Tidings that 鈥渢he road to Medford was impassable in 15 to 20 places鈥� and three feet of water covered State Route 99 at the Jackson Hot Springs on the western edge of town.
Bear Creek overflowed, carrying huge rocks onto the Southern Pacific tracks north and south of Ashland and stranding passengers in Ashland for three nights. The railroad allowed them to sleep for free in its depot-restaurant and hired an orchestra to put on evening dances.
Sources: Finkle, Peter. "Heavy snow and rain brought 'havoc'." Ashland [Ore.] Daily Tidings, 4 June 2019, local ed., p. A2; Plain, Robert. "10 years later, Ashland remembers the big flood." Ibid, 30 Dec. 2006, ashlandtidings.com/news/business/10-years-later-ashland-remembers-the-big-flood. Accessed 19 June 2019.
