Heavy rains drench Pacific Northwest; 2 deaths investigated
PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities in Oregon were investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found in creeks this week as an atmospheric river brought heavy rain, flooding and unseasonably warm temperatures to the Pacific Northwest.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five people from flooded areas on Tuesday, and the conditions closed rail links, schools and roads in some areas and shattered daily rainfall and temperature records in Washington state. Amtrak said no passenger trains will be running between Seattle and Portland until Thursday because of a landslide.
Nicole Langer was on her front porch in Grays River in southwestern Washington on Tuesday when she heard a neighbor yelling for someone to call 911. Her neighbor had tried to drive through high waters on a flooded road and had to be rescued from the roof of her car by the Coast Guard, video taken by Ms. Langer showed.
“I was scared for her,” she said. “We didn’t want her to fall in or anything like that.”
Ms. Langer called her neighbor, Tony Zhoa, to tell him that a helicopter was coming to rescue his stranded wife. Mr. Zhoa said he hopped on his tractor to try to reach her, but by the time he neared the scene the Coast Guard had already arrived. On Wednesday, the day after the rescue, he said she was doing well.
Atmospheric rivers, sometimes known as a “Pineapple Express” because the long and narrow bands of water vapor convey warm subtropical moisture across the Pacific from near Hawaii, delivered enormous amounts of rain and snow to California last winter.
The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings in parts of western Washington. While river flooding was expected to linger in western Washington on Wednesday, the rivers were receding and none in the region remained in major flood stage, the weather service said. Flood warnings were also issued for several rivers in Oregon with reports of minor flooding.
Portland Fire & Rescue said a man is believed to have drowned in Johnson Creek in southeast Portland on Monday. Officials received reports of a person who appeared to be grasping a couch cushion floating down the creek, Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves said. Rescuers found the cushion, but not the person, he said. Hours later, a body was found and authorities determined it was the body of the missing man, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy John Plock said. The Portland Police Bureau was investigating the person’s death.
Initial reports suggested that the man might have been camping near the creek or visiting the area to help people experiencing homelessness, Mr. Graves said. More than 100 people live in the brush along Johnson Creek, Kristle Delihanty, founder of PDX Saints Love, told The Oregonian. Whenever severe rainstorms approach the area, her nonprofit, which offers aid to people living unsheltered, sends out weather alerts to clients, who spread the word that it’s time to move to higher ground.
“The message we try to get out to them is, ‘I know you think it looks like it’s far away, but it’s not. It can come in the night when you’re sleeping and not aware,’” Ms. Delihanty said. “We try to explain the dangers of being in a zipped-up tent and trying to navigate yourself when the flooding comes up.”