With the sound of search and rescue helicopters thrumming in the distance, displaced residents in Pendleton ventured out to their homes Saturday to assess the damage as it started to rain after days of flooding that washed out roads, swamped homes and prompted the governor to declare a state of emergency in three Oregon counties.

“The (affected areas) seem to be stabilizing and the water is receding,” said Kevin Jeffries, spokesman for the Umatilla County Joint Information Center.

Rescue efforts Saturday focused on the northeastern part of the county, where most of the roads have been completely washed away.

An evacuation notice was sent out to residents in the Bingham, Mill Creek and North Fork road areas around 9:30 p.m. Friday warning them they needed to evacuate or be prepared to shelter in place for several weeks.

Search and rescue was working to make contact with residents in this area, although 45 mph gusts of wind are making the efforts difficult for helicopters.

Rescue teams located 26 people Friday. Eight were brought to Pendleton and 16 to the Red Cross shelter in Walla Walla, Washington.

“As far as I know, everything has been going smoothly,” said Jeffries. “People have been willing to evacuate, there are no medical emergencies. Despite all the floods, closure and stress everything is going as smooth as it possibly could.”

By midmorning in the flood-ravaged city Saturday, the surge of the Umatilla had receded, and a steady stream of cars went to and from the River View Mobile Estates.

Trucks came and went loaded up with things to salvage or throw away.

Pools of water dotted the roads and yards, and a thick layer of mud several inches deep coated roads, yards, porches and homes. Garbage, cars, tree limbs, pieces of houses, and debris were scattered haphazardly around, drug across the mobile home park by the torrent of floodwater.

The mobile home park is perched alongside the river, some residences less than 100 feet away, and was one of the areas of Pendleton that was hit the hardest by the flood.

Heavy snow, heavy flooding

Pendleton, Hermiston and other Eastern Oregon towns experienced significant flooding Thursday and Friday in the wake of heavy snow followed by rain.

Connie Wilson arrived at the mobile home park around 10 a.m. Saturday with her daughter Donna Wilson and her granddaughter Amy DuBois.

Out front, their vehicles had been drenched, and were covered with debris and plant matter from the flood, a displaced dumpster somehow wedged into one of them.

The day before, DuBois and Donna Wilson had returned during the flood to save Wilson and DuBois’ pets — three cats and a small dachshund mix.

DuBois also wanted to pack some clothing.

“I had nothing but the clothes on my back,” said DuBois.

When they arrived at the entrance to the park, water had already covered the roadways.

They got out of the car and plunged into freezing water that came as high their hips and walked roughly half a mile to the mobile home to get their animals. They didn’t have anything to carry the animals with but had planned to carry them through the water back to the car when a neighbor offered them a ride.

They returned home Saturday to see what else they could salvage. Inside, their home smelled of river water and the floors were covered in a layer of silt from the river. Some of their belongings will be salvageable, but much is ruined and the trailer won’t be livable.

DuBois and Wilson don’t have insurance.

“We’re gonna get as much as we can salvage and put it in storage and find another place to live,” said DuBois.

The flooding this past week in Eastern Oregon closed roads and plunged homes underwater, prompting evacuations and water rescues.

More rain was expected to fall throughout the area on Saturday. Snow was in the forecast as well.

The rising water closed about 200 miles of Interstate 84 between Hermiston and Ontario on Friday. Most of I-84 has now reopened.

Gov. Kate Brown has declared a state of emergency in Umatilla, Union and Wallowa counties.

Heavy snow on Wednesday in Eastern Oregon, followed by warmer weather and rain, caused area rivers to spill over. The Umatilla River crested just before 10 p.m. Thursday at more than 19 feet, nearly four times the average height for that date.

An extended run of days without rain or snow is expected in the area starting Sunday.