Portland Flooding Severe; Girl Drowns

Thousands of people were evacuated and a child apparently drowned as Oregon rivers and streams gushed over their banks Wednesday in the state’s worst flooding in more than 30 years.

The Willamette River, the major waterway that moves up the Willamette Valley through the state’s population centers, was swollen to near flood stage and was predicted to crest far above its banks by early Friday, posing a threat from Eugene north to Portland.

“It does not look good at this point,” said Tom Worden, spokesman for the state Emergency Management office. “It looks like it could approach the 1964 flood on the Willamette River anyway.”

Eugene reported 5.31 inches of rain in the 24 hours ending at 4 p.m. Other readings included 4.97 inches at Florence and 4.70 inches at Seaside.

In Portland, more than 5 inches of rain had fallen since Monday and another inch was expected before the rain finally stopped. The average rainfall for the entire month of February is 3.93 inches.

A Linn County sheriff’s deputy found the body of a 9-year-old Amber Bargfreele near her home east of the farming town of Scio after she did not return from a trip to the mailbox. She had apparently fallen into a culvert and drowned in about 3 feet of water.

Almost all of the town of Scio, population 630, was flooded. Canoeists could be seen paddling down Main Street.

Hundreds of people were told to leave their homes near the North Santiam River below Detroit Dam. The Detroit Reservoir rose nearly 2 feet per hour, prompting concerns that water would have to be released Thursday into a river already running above flood stage.

The coastal town of Tillamook was cut off by flood waters over all highways that enter the city. Much of the downtown area was flooded by 6 to 7 feet of water.

Interstate 84 was closed near Cascade Locks Wednesday night in the Columbia Gorge when an entire hillside came down on the freeway. State police estimated the freeway would be closed for four days. Motorists couldn’t use State Route 14 on the Washington side of the gorge because it also was closed by slides.

Interstate 5, the main northsouth route through the state, was closed by high water and a mudslide in two places between Albany and Salem. After several hours, southbound cars were getting through by creeping down the shoulder of the highway.

The Red Cross set up 25 emergency shelters across Oregon.