UPDATE: 1 p.m. Wednesday – The evacuation alert for Vale has been canceled as an inspection findings river levee at no risk. “The Army Corps of Engineers have inspected the Bully Creek Levee System and stated that they had ‘no concerns’ over the conditions of the levee,” Malheur County officials said.
UPDATE: 8:30 a.m. Wednesday – Authorities say gopher holes weakened the river levee and federal inspectors are expected to arrive in Vale Wednesday.
The Malheur River in the Vale remains at a historic major flood level, threatening the river levee that protects the southeast portion of Vale.
Malheur County Emergency Management alerted residents Tuesday night to be packed and ready to evacuate in the event the levee fails. Early Wednesday, authorities reported that the levee held overnight.
The Vale School District early Wednesday announced that all schools would be closed because of the Level 1 evacuation notice.
The Malheur River flows along Vale’s southern boundary and is joined by Bully Creek near the Vale rodeo grounds. The levee is along the western bank of the river.
“There are some small leaks starting along the levy near the rodeo grounds,” the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday night.
“Local Emergency Management has reported the Bully Creek levee system could fail and flood the southern portion of Vale, Oregon. Authorities have advised to prepare for immediate evacuation,” according to notice issued early Wednesday by the National Water Prediction Service.
“The Bully Creek levee system could fail and flood the southern half of Vale. Pack vehicles with change of clothing, medications and other things for an immediate withdraw from Vale, should that levee break,” Malheur County authorities said in a warning issued Tuesday night.
Vale city crews worked on the levee through the day Tuesday but “they didn’t feel that they had made much of an impact and they had serious concerns of the integrity of the levee in that area,” according to a statement Wednesday from Lt. Rich Harriman, Malheur County emergency manager.
“The area of the levee in question was just south of the Vale Rodeo grounds. Rodent infestation had created holes in the levee that were leaking water from the high waters of the Malheur River on the other side of the levee,” Harriman said. “The more work they did, the more holes they found that needed patched.”
He said a team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been requested to inspect the Vale levee and inspectors were expected in Vale on Wednesday.
The river gauge in Vale showed the Malheur peaking at 23.55 feet at midday Tuesday and then dropped slightly before starting to rise again just before sunrise. The river is considered at major flood stage when it reaches 23 feet at Vale and is expected to stay at that stage through Wednesday evening. That level is about 4 feet from the top of the levee.
“The river is forecast to fall below flood stage Thursday night,” the federal agency advised.
According to the prediction center website, the river level on Tuesday was among the highest in history in Vale. Its records show the highest recorded level was 24.58 feet in 1957. That’s followed by 23.8 feet in 1982, 23.31 feet in 1993, 22.58 feet in 2011 and 22.05 feet in 2006.
Roads and highways throughout the area were covered in water. U.S. Highway 20 remained closed from Harper to Juntura, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
In Ontario, firefighters Tuesday evening rescued two people and a dog at a home on Northwest 36th Street.
Ontario Fire Chief Clint Benson said two firefighters using a rescue raft reached the trapped people and brought them to safety. They were unharmed, he said.
NOTE: Readers are urged to send observations, photos or videos to help inform the community. Email them to Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected]
