We must be proactive to avoid another catastrophic flood
January 20 2021
My view: 'We must reduce flood risk and create communities that are more resilient in the face of natural disasters, starting with and centering those communities at greatest risk.'
Oregon's story can't be told without talking about floods. The cataclysmic Missoula floods that flowed down the Columbia River Gorge formed the northern Willamette Valley's fertile landscape.
The tragic Vanport flood of 1948 inundated a slapdash public housing project where much of Portland's Black population lived, displacing 18,500 residents. The Heppner Flood of 1903, the Christmas Flood of 1964 — these and many other floods are part of our disaster lore.