Nature Flares its Power

The seemingly peaceful  nature of rivers as they roll by is a mere disguise for their immense power. Often times, we fail to realize this until its force becomes too powerful to control.

On June 1, 1948, the largest flood on the Columbia River since 1894 brought shipping to a standstill for a month. On what the Columbian described as C-Day (Crest Day), the river reached 31 feet, 16 feet above flood level after the railroad dike between Smith Lake and Vanport City gave way, in effect “opening the flood gates”.

On the Oregon side of the Columbia River, the flood destroyed Vanport, which had accommodated shipyard workers during World War II and still housed more than 18,000 people. On the Washington side, the ALCOA plant was transformed into an island during the flood’s peak, and a half mile of Lower River Road was damaged.

There was no auto traffic leading to Vancouver, flooding cut gas and telephone lines, and nearly all waterfront industries closed, forcing 3,000 people out of work.

Unlike an earlier flood in 1927 in which the Port of Vancouver’s docks were able to continue handling cargo as the flood waters peaked, that wasn’t the case during the Vanport Flood.

Port Superintendent Al Kadow recalled that water nearly a foot deep flooded the deck of Terminal 2, a 30-foot dock. During the peak of the flood, barges carried food from Portland to Vancouver, landing at the grain elevator dock, which fortunately remained four feet above flood level. These barges also delivered milk to Portland from Clark County dairies.

The flood’s disruption of trade was an early indicator of the region’s growing dependence on the mighty Columbia River to move goods and services not only locally, but worldwide.

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