Rains hit Lost Nation neighborhood threefold: Road access, water and electric affected

A worker pours rock onto a washed-out bridge Monday in Lost Nation after it gave way to a torrent of water Sunday night. The residents on the other side were effectively stranded. (Alex T. Paschal/apaschal@svnmail.com)

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LOST NATION – Dozens of residents from the Lost Nation subdivision in southern Ogle County were stranded and without utilities Monday after about 7 inches of rain knocked out a small bridge, cut water service and downed electric lines.

Charlie Moore, a member of the Lost Lake Property Owners Association, said rising waters in one of the subdivision’s creeks completely eroded the ends of a small, two-way bridge, effectively collapsing the middle.

“So it’s all out in the lake now, somewhere,” Moore said. “Or out in the Rock River.”

Ogle County Emergency Management Director Ron McDermott said the collapse isolated about 30 households.

The problem came amid reports that Oregon received nearly 3.65 inches of rain as of early evening Sunday, on top of 3.15 inches from Friday.

Williamson said he planned to install a new valve adjacent to the broken main Monday afternoon, which should restore water to most of the homes.

In the meantime, Williamson said, the association scheduled a water tanker to supply homes Monday afternoon.

Cyndee Stencil, 53, has lived in the subdivision for 25 years. She saw more extreme flooding about 15 years ago, she said, but Monday’s downpour was comparable.

“It was torrential,” she said. “I heard it going at 1 o’clock, and it was still going heavy by 3 [a.m.]. ... It was really something to see.”

She said she was grateful for so much neighborly support from the subdivision, which has its own electric and water utilities.

“Everybody’s helping each other out here,” Stencil said. “You couldn’t have better people living out here. If anybody needs something, it gets done.”