After heavy rain causes street flooding in Bend, ODOT explains steps to avoid repeat

(Update: Adding video, comments from ODOT representative , city of Bend)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The thunderstorms and heavy rain that hit the High Desert Thursday afternoon triggered flooding in several areas around Bend, including Third Street, where a major road upgrade has been underway.

The waters rose as construction is under way in several parts of Bend, from Newport Avenue to Third Street.

"It was a circumstance that's hard to foresee the kind of storm we're going to get," ODOT representative Peter Murphy said Friday.

"It just kind of caught us in the middle of the project," he said. "So we're making major improvements to the storm drainage, and yesterday was an anomaly, because we hadn't connected the sides yet."

But once they do, he said stormwater shouldn't create a lake on Third Street again. The overall project will is due for completion in November of next year.

To prepare for any future heavy rainfall, he said, pumps were brought in to drain into the new system, taking the place of the side connections, and crews are drilling further into the soil to catch any runoff.

"People just need to understand -- I mean, they've seen it," Murphy said. "We're just in the middle of a big project. We're going to improve lighting, we're going to improve sidewalks, we're going to improve the surface, and the drainage. So there's a lot going on in this particular stretch of highway."

Some streets around downtown Bend also flooded.

"Unfortunately, we can't wave our magic wand and fix every problem in every part of town," city Utility Field of Operations Manager Troy Beck said. "It's a long process. It's a marathon, not a sprint."