Oregon Woman Killed by Floodwaters Outside Pendleton

She had refused to leave her home in rural Umatilla County.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers examines flooding in Umatilla County. (KATU-TV)
By Aaron Mesh

A woman living outside Pendleton was found dead Sunday. Local officials believe she was killed by the floodwaters of the Umatilla River.

Janet Tobkin Conley, 62, had refused to leave her home in rural Umatilla County, although local authorities urged area residents to evacuate.

"Conley was located on Sunday morning, on the Bar M Ranch property by searchers and neighbors from the area," the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "It appears she was swept away by rushing water."

Conley's death appears to be the first fatality from flooding across Northeast Oregon. A melting snowpack has swollen rivers, flooded significant portions of Pendleton, and forced emergency management teams to evacuate the residents of the surrounding countryside via helicopter.

On Feb. 7, Gov. Kate Brown declared a disaster in three counties. On Sunday, Oregon Air National Guard volunteers were still conducting search-and-rescue missions.

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