FEMA to update flood maps
By Terry Murry on Monday, March 15th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – Floods have taught the city of Pendleton a lesson. Flood maps of both McKay Creek and the Umatilla River are not accurate. City Manager Robb Corbett said there were a number of areas that were not listed as flood prone that did flood, while the areas that were considered likely to flood did not.
“If you’re not in an area that’s going to flood you’re paying for flood insurance when you don’t need to,” Corbett said. “If you are in an area that says you’re not going to flood and you do flood, you’re exposed.”
Corbett said FEMA has agreed to pay for updating both flood maps, which was a pleasant surprise. “That work is going to get done, which is really an amazing gift to the community because, from what I was hearing, it was taking some communities decades to get those projects done,” Corbett said.
My Columbia Basin file photo by Tim Mustoe of the flood in the Riverside area.
