Sheriff is getting ready for the thaw
By Terry Murry on Friday, March 24th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News Featured Stories
PENDLETON – The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office is getting ready for spring and the potential for floods. Sheriff Terry Rowan said that the 2019 McKay Creek Flood and the 2020 Umatilla River Flood brought home the Boy Scout motto to be prepared.
“We’ve really been trying to get out ahead of it and make sure that we have some components in place to address some of those needs,” he said.
He said that it’s vital that first responders are not caught unaware in such events.
“We talk to the National Weather Service in Pendleton on what kind of weather systems are moving in, and with the Bureau of Reclamation on the McKay Reservoir and the Cold Springs Reservoir to see where their water flows are.”
Meanwhile, this weekend will see the snowpack grow at higher elevations in the Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington. The National Weather Service predicts six to 10 inches, with higher accumulation at the peaks. Also, winds will cause blowing snow hampering visibility.
