Vanport Flood
Oregon’s major industries - forest products, agriculture, and tourism - were deeply affected by the Great Depression. Although agriculture was helped somewhat by New Deal programs of the Roosevelt administration, the tourism industry was virtually destroyed. World War II changed things dramatically. New industries developed almost overnight, the population quickly became more diverse, and the fed-eral government began to play an important role in the lives of the citizens. Oregon’s role in the war effort was primarily produc-tion of ships, food, fiber, and aluminum; however, its relatively small population required an influx of additional workers.

Despite Vanport’s location on a flood plain near the largest river in the western U.S., there was very little concern about its safety. A Kaiser publication stated that “the entire project is surrounded by an impervious dike”. Because of that confidence, the exceptionally heavy winter snowfall in the upper Columbia Basin during the 1947-48 winter produced little concern. But, warm temperatures and heavy rains in May 1948 caused snow melt to occur very quickly. Tributaries overflowed their banks, and the biggest flood since 1894 filled the Columbia to overflowing.

In Vanport, the initial reaction was minimal. Routine patrols of the dikes surrounding the city began on May 25. Sandbags were procured, as well as quantities of baled straw, canvas tarpaulins, and dump trucks. Assistance was sought from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who had built the dikes and had extensive flood-control experience. The Engineers informed Kaiser that there was no need for worry.

On Sunday, May 30, Portland residents were enjoying a warm, sunny, Memorial Day weekend. Meanwhile, river levels continued to rise. At Vancouver the level was 28.3 feet, 15 feet above flood stage. Since Vanport was almost exactly at flood-stage elevation, river levels were 15 feet above the Vanport apartments’ lower floors. At 4:17 p.m., the railroad fill along the west boundary of the develop devgave way. A seaplane flying over the tracks at that time reported that a sudden six-foot break quickly increased to 60 , then 500 feet wide. Water poured into Vanport. In the next two hours, the entire development was flooded. The following day, the dike on the east side of Vanport also collapsed. The town was completely destroyed, with damages to government property totaling over $21 million. The number of lives lost was uncertain, but most estimates now place the total at about 25. In addition, so little warning was given that most residents lost nearly all their personal belongings3 . Cars and trucks choked the single exit road from Vanport. Many cars were abandoned to the rising flood waters, unable to leave because of the congestion. Scores of young children watched, terrified, as their homes were destroyed before their eyes; their parents had repeatedly assured them that nothing would happen, as the officials had said. Those assurances, almost up to the time the flood began, were the reason many residents left their homes with almost none of their belongings.

Later analyses indicated that the railroad fill was poorly built, despite its massive and strong appearance. At one time the railroad ran along a trestle over the lowlands. In about 1918, the fill was made by simple dumping aggregate around the trestle. Over the years, the timbers rotted, weakening the roadbed at those points.

Blame for the disaster was an ongoing and hotly-debated issue. Many lawsuits were filed. Eventually a federal court decision was made regarding damage claims by Vanport residents. In 1951, Judge James Alger Fee agreed with the defense (The U.S. government) that Title 33 of the judicial code applied: the government shall not, he concluded, be held responsible for flood damage. Thus the Vanport residents were able to collect nothing other than their personal insurance payments3 .

Could the Vanport disaster reoccur? According to the Corps of Engineers, the answer is no. There are now 14 major dams on the Columbia system, and peak river levels are now much more controllable. Nonetheless, the Vanport area was never rebuilt for housing. Currently an auto race track, golf course, and parks cover the flood plain. The viewer can behold “a sense of peace and tranquillity that was never present in Vanport City.”