Central Oregon storm clean-up continues

The High Desert continues to dig out after a three-day storm that left two to 2 1/2 feet of snow across much of the region.

With warmer temperatures and rain in the forecast, the concern now is flooding.

“With this warm weather and the threat of rain, we’re concerned,” Hardy Hanson, the city of Bend’s street division director, said Monday. “What we could end up with is plugged basins and plugged facilities, and we end up with flooding issues.”

He says the city is working to clear the streets of snow, and asks the public to please be patient.

“We get a lot of complaints, ‘Oh, you’re pushing the snow up onto the sidewalk — how come you’re making me work twice on something I just cleared.’ Well, a lot of that is to open the drainage along the roadway,” Hanson said.

At the intersection of Third Street and Greenwood Avenue in northeast Bend, a small pond has already started to form.

“Our corner gets a lot of water, as opposed to the other three corners,” said Darrylin Haight, an employee at the Mini Pet Mart. “We’ve seen a lot of accidents here, and when it gets icy out, a lot of honking hours and all that fun stuff.”

Along 27th Street on the east side of Bend, high water signs were placed near the intersection with Medical Center Drive.

Typical problem spots, like the Franklin and Third Street underpasses, were clear Monday night. Recent work by the city to improve drainage appears to be working.