At least one person has drowned as heavy rain drenches the Pacific Northwest and has led to significant flooding.
Portland Fire & Rescue reported that the person had drowned in Johnson Creek in Southeast Portland on Monday.
Officials in Washington County are investigating the death of a second person who was found in a stream Tuesday morning. Officials said the adult male was entangled in tree branches within the creek. By 5 p.m., they had yet to confirm how the man had died.
The section of Johnson Creek where rescuers searched for a person who fell in Monday in Portland, Ore.
Photo courtesy of Portland Fire & Rescue
Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves said officials first received reports of a person floating down Johnson Creek in Southeast Portland around 7 a.m. Monday. They appeared to be grasping a couch cushion.
“The water was so choppy, it knocked four rescuers off their boat,” Graves said. “About 40 minutes later, rescuers found the cushion, but couldn’t find the person.”
It wasn’t until that afternoon that someone reported finding a body in the creek running through their property.
The Portland Police Bureau is now investigating the person’s death.
Graves said people need to be extra cautious around moving water, especially as the region expects another downpour Tuesday night.
“Water weighs 8 pounds a gallon,” he said. “You have many gallons at 8 pounds a gallon pushing against you. Anybody is at risk if they’re standing alongside one of these smaller creeks or rivers that are affected by this increased flow.”