Flood, Umatilla
- When
- February 6, 2:00 AM PST to February 8, 8:45 PM PST
- Where
- Umatilla County, Milton Freewater to Umatilla
- Cause
- Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $40 million
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 45.930, -118.380
Umatilla County There was record flooding along the entire reach of the Umatilla River. There was extensive damage to areas along the river, including homes, roads including Interstate 84, railroads as well as other public facilities such as parks and sports complexes. Along the upper reaches of the river, roads were washed out with homes damaged or destroyed. One resident was swept away by flood waters and died. A number of residents had to be evacuated via helicopter or 4 wheeler with 70 homes on the Umatilla Indian Reservation damaged. The Riverview Mobile Home Park at Pendleton was inundated. There was minimal to no damage through Pendleton, due to the levee, but the Bob White Baseball field had extensive damage as water overtopped a low wall. Adjacent to Pendleton, the levee was damaged and overtopped with water flowing through the Keystone RV Manufacturing plant and the Colby Pipe Company. Several bridges and roads downstream from Reith to Echo were damaged or washed out with a number of homes damaged. Downstream from Echo to the confluence of Columbia River, the river rose out of the banks and flooded Interstate 84 between Highway 395 and Highway 208. Several semi-trucks were stranded in the flood waters with extensive damage to the highway. Numerous pastures and buildings along the river through Stanfield were flooded with extensive damage to Oxbow Park in Hermiston and to a sports complex in Umatilla. There was extensive flooding as well as on the Walla Walla River from the headwaters through Milton Freewater and on the upper reaches of Mill Creek. Numerous levees along the Umatilla and Walla Walla Rivers were damaged or overtopped including near Milton Freewater, several locations on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and adjacent to Pendleton. Damage is estimated at 1.3 million dollars to private property on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, with damage for public infrastructure for the entire county at 39.7 million dollars.
Umatilla at Pendleton Flood stage is 12.3 feet. The river rose above flood stage on February 6th 1230 pm, crested at 19.18 feet on February 6th at 10 pm, then fell below flood stage on February 8th at 11am. This was a record peak flow of 19,400 cfs. Highway 11(major access way to Pendleton) was closed due to water flowing over the road. Several bridges and roads downstream from Reith to Echo were damaged or washed out with a number of homes damaged. Umatilla near Gibbon Flood Stage is 7.0 feet. The river rose above flood stage on February 6th, at 2 am, crested at 12.14 feet on February 6th, at 130 pm, then fell below flood stage on February 8th at 645 pm. This was a record peak flow of 13,900 cfs. There was extensive damage along the upstream portions of the river with over 70 homes damaged, roads and railroad tracks washed out, levee damaged or washed out.