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Helicopters used to evacuate Umatilla County residents as flooding continues | Regional News

21 people had to be evacuated by helicopter from Umatilla County on Saturday as flood waters continue to cripple the area.

The Umatilla County Sheriff's Office says two helicopters provided by the National Guard and Umatilla County Search and Rescue were used to evacuate 16 people from the Bingham Road area and five people from the Mill Creek area.

The Sheriff's Office says more evacuations are planned for Sunday.

The Sheriff's Office also outlined some important things for residents to remember as flood waters recede and clean up begins.

1. Take photos of your damage before you clean up, for insurance purposes

2. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders who have questions about their flood insurance policy or the claims process, and disaster survivors who have general questions about the National Flood Insurance Program, can contact a NFIP representative by calling the NFIP Call Center toll-free at 1-800-427-4661

For individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, call 711 (TTY and other services are available). For VRS, please call 1-866-337-4262

3. Check to make sure contractors doing repairs are licensed by visiting the Oregon Construction Contractors Board page

4. Contact your city to find out where debris can be disposed of in your area; if you are a non-city resident, contact your county

5. Resources for after-disaster clean up:

English Spanish "Many roads in the county are still closed due to high water or damage. Do not drive around road-closed signs as roads are impassable and you could interfere with ongoing rescue efforts," the Sheriff's Office added. "People are asked to check www.tripcheck.com before they travel, although many county roads are not updated on this site. Do not drive through standing water and stay away from creeks, rivers and levees."