Oregon Public Broadcasting

Swollen rivers have spared the town of Vernonia, hard hit by flooding a year ago. Residents there are breathing a sign of relief.  Pete Springer reports.

Ken Cox is the superintendent of the Vernonia school district.

He was up early to check with the National Weather Service about the Nehalem River in Vernonia. 

Ken Cox: “And they informed us that the river crested at 5:30 just under 11 feet, so there’s a sigh of relief.  We went to a city meeting shortly after that, about 7:30 and there were smiles all around.”

Vernonia schools were closed Thursday due to flooding potential.

The middle school had   been sandbagged as a precaution. And several semi-trucks were used to move middle school and high school supplies to higher ground. 

Vernonia suffered extensive damage during flooding in December 2007.

That’s when flooding damaged more than 800 homes in the area along with businesses and the town's three schools.

The schools suffered so much flood damage that Vernonia students had to be bused to schools in other towns.