On-and-off rain leads to citywide drain mess

PORTLAND, Ore. - It's Kelly Godinez's job to "make sure the store doesn't flood," so even as a clerk at the Hollywood Liquor store off Sandy Boulevard he's sweeping out the leaves from the storm drains in front.

It's a job a lot of Portlanders may have to get used to.

With Saturday's on-and-off gushes of rain - brought in by the "remnants of a typhoon" off the Oregon Coast - storm drains were clogged all over town. (Share your experiences below.)

Without city or citizen action, the problem of street flooding likely won't get better any time soon.

The city of Portland has decided that only 23 neighborhoods in Portland will get their streets swept this November - most in areas where the home prices are high. Additionally, the city is shaving $100,000 off its budget by eliminating its city-run leaf depots - the places where those in Portland's less-expensive neighborhoods could drop off leaves for a small fee. 

The city is continuing with its contracted yard debris pickup. It gives a free rolling 60-gallon bin with service. It asks customers to buy paper leaf bags (up to $3 each for the bag, and another $2.50 for pick up) for leaves that won't fit in the bin.

City workers tell KATU that Portland residents should be doing the clean up to avoid the street-side clogs. On Friday KATU News reported that city workers were asking citizens to "use a rake to push the leaves out, leaving one foot between the pile and the curb."

We found a pile in Northeast Portland, pictured, that came close to following those rules.