The Heppner Flood

One of the worst disasters in Oregon history

Better safe than....sorry.

A day that will forever live in the collective memories of Heppner. The purpose of my page is to inform you on the epic flood that occured in Heppner about 100 years ago. Simply put, this is just a mini-history of the terrible disaster. For complete, decisive information, go to the official website. Sunday, June 14, 1902, "A cloudburst about one mile south of the city had piled up a wall of water 200 yards wide--to sweep without warning down the narrow gorge, leaving death and destruction in its path." -Official site
"Two hundred and forty-seven bodies were recovered. The property loss was $350,000." -Official site
"As the onrushing of water struck the community, Leslie Matlock, son of a former sheriff of Morrow County, and Bruce Kelly, sensing potential disaster for communities in the path of the flood, started horseback and rode 18 miles just ahead of the water, spreading the alarm. contemporary accounts of the flood relate that Matlock's horse dropped dead in the course of the ride, than he continued on a fresh horse." - -Official site
"Because of the warning, ranchers on Willow Creek below Heppner were able to drive their stock to higher land where they were safe. --Official site
So a tragedy of such enormous scale would never occur again, the dam was built. To this day, no flood has occured since the building of the dam. It has made many people in Heppner sleep easy to know that no floods can come and reek havoc on the town. Although the chances of a flood occuring now are low, the people of Heppner still have 'flood escape' routes; paths to higher ground, just to be safe.

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A day that will forever live in the collective memories of Heppner. The purpose of my page is to inform you on the epic flood that occured in Heppner about 100 years ago. Simply put, this is just a mini-history of the terrible disaster. For complete, decisive information, go to the official website.	Sunday, June 14, 1902, "A cloudburst about one mile south of the city had piled up a wall of water 200 yards wide--to sweep without warning down the narrow gorge, leaving death and destruction in its path." -Official site
"Two hundred and forty-seven bodies were recovered. The property loss was $350,000." -Official site
"As the onrushing of water struck the community, Leslie Matlock, son of a former sheriff of Morrow County, and Bruce Kelly, sensing potential disaster for communities in the path of the flood, started horseback and rode 18 miles just ahead of the water, spreading the alarm. contemporary accounts of the flood relate that Matlock's horse dropped dead in the course of the ride, than he continued on a fresh horse." - -Official site
"Because of the warning, ranchers on Willow Creek below Heppner were able to drive their stock to higher land where they were safe. --Official site
So a tragedy of such enormous scale would never occur again, the dam was built. To this day, no flood has occured since the building of the dam. It has made many people in Heppner sleep easy to know that no floods can come and reek havoc on the town. Although the chances of a flood occuring now are low, the people of Heppner still have 'flood escape' routes; paths to higher ground, just to be safe.