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FLOOD HISTORY

An infographic showing the historic major flood events that have occurred on the Columbia River near Portland, OR compared to the normal river level
History Timeline-01.png

We have a long history of flooding along the Columbia River

An image of people in a rowboat on a street in Portland during the Great Flood of 1894

JUN 7,  1894

THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1894

In May and June of 1894, heavy rainfall combined with spring snowmelt led to significant flooding on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in the Portland area. The Columbia River reached an elevation of 39.7 feet, which is still the highest flood on record to this day.

JUN 9,  1933

A picture of the Portland Yacht Club flooded during the 1933 Columbia River Flood

1933 COLUMBIA RIVER FLOOD

In June 1933, thawing snows led to flooding on the Columbia River, which ultimately reached an elevation of 31.6 feet. People were evacuated and farmers moved livestock to higher areas as the river continued to rise over the course of a week.

A picture of flooded homes and roadways in Vanport during the 1948 Vanport Flood

MAY 30, 1948

1948 COLUMBIA RIVER FLOOD (VANPORT)

On Memorial Day in 1948 the railroad embankment on the western end of the levee system, collapsed under pressure from the river, sending waves of water into the city of Vanport, killing at least 15 people, leaving scores more injured, and displacing over 18,000 people from their homes.

JUN 4,  1956

A photo of flooding near some buildings during the 1956 Columbia River Flood

1956 COLUMBIA RIVER FLOOD

The snowpack in the mountains was much higher than usual during the winter of 1955 to 1956, and there was heavy rain throughout the Columbia River basin that spring. In early June, the snowpack started melting very quickly, leading to flooding along the Columbia.

A photo of a house and debris in the river under a bridge during the 1964 Christmas Flood

DEC 13, 1964

1964 CHRISTMAS FLOOD

In December of 1964 an unusual cold spell hit Oregon, freezing the ground before dropping a large amount of snow. This was followed by a heavy amount of rain that raised the temperature, causing the snow to melt quickly while the ground was still frozen and impermeable. Streams and rivers flooded across Oregon, as well as in parts of Northern California, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.

FEB 9, 1996

A photo of the flooded banks of the Columbia River during the 1996 Columbia River Flood

1996 THE LAST MAJOR FLOOD

The combination of record-breaking rain, warm temperatures, and deep snowpack during the winter of 1995-1996 led to severe flooding in many parts of northern Oregon, including along the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in the Portland metro area. By February 9th, tens of thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes and the Columbia River reached 33.8 feet.

A picure of a flooded parking lot and boat ramp during the 2011 Columbia River High Water Event

JUN 2, 2011

2011 HIGH WATER EVENT

In mid-May of 2011 the Columbia River began to approach flood stages from the combination of melting snow in the mountains and an exceptionally rainy spring. On June 2, 2011 the high water peaked at 22.7 feet, causing minor flooding in Multnomah County.

MAR 31, 2017

A picture of a flooded barn during the 2017 Columbia River High Water Event

HIGH WATER ON THE COLUMBIA

After record-setting rains in February and heavy rain in March of 2017, the Columbia River began to rise, triggering enhanced emergency operations for the local drainage districts in anticipation of flooding. The river peaked at 22.9 feet on March 31, 2017. For nearly a month, the drainage districts inspected the levees on land and in boats for any erosion, slides or other stability issues. The levees showed some signs of their age with erosion and seepage issues during the event.

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