Water Damage Restoration in Portland, OR

First Steps for Water in a Home in Portland

• Burst pipe: shut the main water valve, then open the lowest faucet to drain the lines (burst pipe steps).
• Stay clear of wet outlets and cords.
• Photograph the damage, then call your insurer.

How Often Portland Floods

The 5 Oregon counties of the Portland metro area logged flooding on 21 days from 2016 to 2025 (29 NOAA reports), January most often.

At the Portland 0.8 ENE gauge, December is the wettest month with 7.3 inches on average.

Freezing Nights in Portland

Portland averages 18 nights a year at or below 32°F (Portland KGW-TV station). About 1 of them drop to 20°F or colder. NOAA counted 81 winter storm, ice or extreme cold days in the 5 Oregon counties of the Portland metro area from 2016 to 2025.

Unheated crawl spaces, attics and garages freeze first (Red Cross); keep the heat at 55°F or more (IBHS).

Storms and Disasters in Portland

The 5 Oregon counties of the Portland metro area were named in 15 federal weather or fire declarations since 2016 (OpenFEMA).

Notable NOAA storm reports

• August 17, 2024: Hail, 1.5 inch hail (Clackamas County)Multiple reports of 1 to 1.5 inch hail from trained spotter and photographs on social media.
• October 22, 2022: Tornado, EF0 (Clackamas County)A brief, weak tornado occurred on Saturday evening northeast of Cherryville, OR. Video confirmation was obtained, as well as a storm damage survey.
• April 30, 2022: Thunderstorm wind, 60 mph gust (Washington County)A video on social media showed what appeared to be a thunderstorm gust or gustnado, which caused minor damage to baseball stands.
• February 12, 2019: Flood (Columbia County)Several structures impacted from flooding along Fox Creek in the city of Rainier, Oregon. Eventual cause may have been a blocked culvert. U.S. Highway 30 was closed at times.
• October 29, 2018: Tornado, EF0 (Washington County)Multiple greenhouse structures were damaged at a farm on Thatcher Road. Witness accounts also confirmed a tornado. The tornado was likely on the ground for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Federal disaster declarations

• April 7, 2026: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And MudslidesSevere Storm, FEMA DR-4907
• August 9, 2024: Lee Falls FireFire, FEMA FM-5529
• April 13, 2024: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Landslides, And MudslidesSevere Storm, FEMA DR-4768
• September 10, 2022: Milo Mciver FireFire, FEMA FM-5454
• May 4, 2021: Severe Winter StormSevere Storm, FEMA DR-4599
• September 15, 2020: Wildfires And Straight-Line WindsFire, FEMA DR-4562
• September 10, 2020: Chehalem Mountain Bald Peak FireFire, FEMA FM-5371
• September 10, 2020: Clakamas County Fire ComplexFire, FEMA FM-5370

Portland Housing at a Glance

Census figures for the city of Portland (American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024): 307,719 housing units, a median build year of 1966, 63% built before 1980, 53% before 1970, 52% owner occupied.

Oregon Insurance Rules for Water Claims

Oregon lists failing to acknowledge and act promptly on claim communications as an unfair claim settlement practice (ORS 746.230).

Claim problems in Oregon go to the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation.

Flood damage needs a separate flood policy, which typically starts 30 days after purchase (FloodSmart). Look up Portland flood zones on FEMA's flood maps.

Restoration Cost Guide for Portland

Sources: Bob Vila, May 2023; III, 2019 to 2023.

Areas Served Around Portland

The same 24/7 line covers the Portland metro area, including:

• Portland
• Gresham
• Hillsboro
• Beaverton
• Tigard
• Lake Oswego
• Oregon City
• McMinnville
• Happy Valley
• Tualatin
• Wilsonville
• Newberg

Water damage restoration in all cities

Questions

When is the first freeze in Portland?

The median first night at or below 32°F is December 1 and the median last is February 25 at the Portland KGW-TV station (NOAA normals, 1991 to 2020).

How fast does mold start?

Dry wet materials within 24 to 48 hours (EPA).