Beyond its storied past, Newport offers visitors and residents an unparalleled connection to nature. With one-third of the county designated as national park or forest land, the mountains are more than a backdrop—they are a refuge. “When I was a teenager, if something was weighing me down, I’d go up into the mountains and just sit,” Finchum shared. “By the time I came back down, I’d have a better perspective and sometimes even a path forward.” The Flood That Changed Everything On a Friday morning in Newport, the Pigeon River—normally a serene fixture in the city’s landscape—transformed into a destructive force. The floodwaters, amplified by the unexpected release of all floodgates at Walters Dam, surged into the heart of the city with unprecedented speed. “We had no warning,” Finchum recounted. “It takes an hour and 40 minutes for water to reach Newport from the dam, but no one told us. By the time we saw the water coming, it was too late to prepare.” Within minutes, downtown streets were submerged. Homes along River Street were inundated, and critical infrastructure—City Hall, the police station, the jail—was severely damaged. “We were on our heels from the start,” Finchum said. “The county’s swift water rescue team and the city’s own team worked tirelessly, rescuing people into the night. The river set a new record, flooding everything near it.”
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