Record Floods Wreak Havoc at Kettle Falls
Unprecedented mountain snowmelt triggers massive flooding on the Columbia, washing away bridges and isolating local settlements.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At Kettle Falls, the unprecedented heat has melted mountain snows so rapidly that the Columbia River has risen to a fearful rate, higher than it has been for years. The sound of the falls can be heard for miles, and Marcus Flat is currently under fifteen feet of water. Mr. McKellar, who has been freighting supplies, reports that every bridge between the settlement and Trail Creek has been destroyed, and the ferry on the Kettle River has been swept away. Many of these roads and bridges were built through years of persistent effort by the settlers. While the Colville River has begun to lower, the damage to infrastructure in the region is extensive.
“The thunder of the falls at this place can be heard for miles, and Marcus Flat is under fifteen feet of water.”
This 1894 flood serves as a reminder of how vulnerable early Pacific Northwest infrastructure was to the volatility of the seasons. Today, while we have massive dam systems, the region continues to grapple with the tension between human development and the immense, unpredictable power of the Columbia River.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.