
By Judy Reed
An spring storm with heavy rainfall whipped through the area on Thursday, March 31, during mid-afternoon (about 3-4 p.m.) and a surge of water caused Cedar Creek to overflow her banks.
The water was high all along the creek, and a flood watch was out for the Rogue River. The storm surge sent the water into Main Street, just north of Oak Street, and areas of Fifth Street were flooded as well. Cars were lined up along Main Street, waiting to drive slowly through the affected area. The flooding had subsided by later that evening.
The last time Cedar Creek overflowed on to Main Street was in 2013. Prior to that it was the mid-1980s, so it’s a fairly rare occurrence. However, there was a flood in 1905 or 1906 in that same area that washed out the wooden bridge across Main Street, and the cement sidewalks. It was reportedly two to three feet deep, and people used rowboats to get up and down Main Street.