Then conditions changed. As temperatures climbed, snowfall turned to rain, melting mountain snowpack. Runoff poured into the communities below, inundating waterways across Northeast Oregon and Southeast Washington. One research station in Umatilla County recorded waters rising approximately 8 feet in less than 20 hours. The aftermath showed hundreds of homes destroyed, thousands of people evacuated and total damages over $48 million. One life was lost. It was the second consecutive year of high waters, but its devastation was unparalleled in recent years. For many, there came a daunting quest...