Area creeks turned into rivers in '95 flood

When she reluctantly decided to leave this flooded neighborhood, Judy Dennett had one primary concern while carefully walking through a creek that had turned into a raging river."I didn't know how to swim," said Dennett, a victim of the January 1995 floods that sent Roseville and the surrounding area into turmoil.Dennett still resides in the quiet neighborhood off Elisa Way and Tina Way (located east of Cirby Way near Interstate 80). In the earlier 1986 floods that also devastated the area, Dennett and husband Francis were rescued, taking a motorized boat down their front yard and through the flooded streets to higher ground.Nine years later, the pair decided to stay in their home despite warnings from officials. When four inches of rain fell overnight, the choice was made - they needed to leave immediately upon waking up to the torrid current of the nearby Linda Creek, which was literally ready to engulf a home they had owned since 1970."That current was swift and the water was about thigh deep," Judy recalls. "It was scary until we got into the fire truck and drove off."By that Tuesday morning (Jan. 10, 1995), the rainfall total for the month had climbed to a staggering 19.2 inches. Boats, not cars, were heading down flooded streets. With four feet of water gushing down parts of Sunrise Avenue, the popular road resembled a fast moving river more than a street.Sandbags were being distributed at the Placer County Fairgrounds, schools were being closed, and city officials were preparing to declare a state of emergency."The biggest difference between this flood and the one in 1986 was it all came at once," recalls Larry Pagel, who served as the city's public works director from 1991 to 2002. "The devastation of the flood, you just couldn't believe what had happened. Roads and bridges were just washed out completely."Linda Creek, which is fed by Cirby Creek, caused the most damage. But the Dry Creek, which has tributaries in Miners Ravine and Secret Ravine, also transformed from creek to river in less than a day.The flood overwhelmed homes and businesses. There were 397 property owners lining up for grants from the city, including 347 homeowners, 39 of them in the Elisa-Tina area."It was a catastrophe, no doubt about it," said Mel Hamel, Roseville's mayor in 1995.Besides the rapid rainfall in 1995, the other difference from the '86 flood was this time Roseville was prepared. Lessons had been learned nine years earlier in a city that experienced 16 floods between 1937 and 1973."In 1986 (when 243 homes were damaged) the whole community was caught by surprise," said Al Johnson, Roseville's city manager from 1988 through 2003. "In 1995 we were pretty well prepared. We got right on it and knew what to do. We were very organized."The city set up 160 dumpsters in various neighborhoods and they were emptied 12 times a day. Over 330 tons of debris was collected. Homeowners and the many volunteers who helped got pretty well-versed in stripping rugs, ripping out sheet rock, scrapping away mud and discarding useless furniture."The help we received was unbelievable," said Ron Hayes, who still owns a home off Elisa Way. "All told, I had 80 people help with my house."And thanks to President Clinton's visit Jan. 17, federal help arrived as well. Along the Linda Creek area near Tina and Elisa, a 17-foot berm was erected. Area creeks were widened and dug deeper, walls were erected and other measures were put in place to make Roseville fairly safe from flooding.Despite the many safeguards, old habits die hard."We don't need flood insurance, but we still have it," Francis Dennett said. "I don't worry about the floods anymore, but I still go down to the creek occasionally and check it out. When it rains hard, you think about it a little."Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at pteditor@goldcountrymedia.com.