Columbia River Gorge community lifted evacuation order after floods and landslides



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Residents of the unincorporated community of Dodson in the Columbia River Gorge can return home, after authorities on Saturday night lifted an evacuation order they issued last week due to flash flooding and landslides.

Meanwhile, county emergency management officials said in a press release that they were still working to recover the body of a local woman whose car was swept away in a debris flow as she she was returning home on January 13. That work continued on Sunday as crews cleared debris from the slip area, according to an email from Chris Liedle of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Communications Unit.

Last week, the sheriff identified the missing person as Jennifer Moore, 50, of Warrendale. She disappeared, after the SUV she was driving was overtaken by a landslide near the intersection of Northeast Frontage Road and the Ainsworth State Park exit on I-84, near Dodson.

In the wee hours of January 13, authorities urged about 25 households in the area to evacuate after excessive rains triggered multiple landslides and debris flows in and near the community.

Multnomah County officials lifted the evacuation orders after reviewing a preliminary report of engineers hired by the county to assess the hillsides south of Dodson, according to a press release from the county. The area burned in the Eagle Creek fire in 2017.

Geologists hired by the county “noted that there are inherent risks to life in this area of ​​the Columbia River Gorge and that the risk of debris flow at the site location should be considered above nominal levels.” , depending on the county.

County officials plan to release a final version of the geologists’ report.

– Hillary Borrud

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