UPDATE 5 p.m. Friday – The city of Salem announced that 2.8 million gallons of untreated sewage flowed into the Willamette River. “The discharge took place in the 100 block of Union Street NE. The overflow began at about 6:30 p.m. Dec. 18 and was stopped at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 19,” the city st atement said. “Signs have been posted advising residents to avoid contact with the water in the Willamette River and the other locations due to potentially elevated bacteria levels,” the city statement said. The city also reported five other overflows: 4700 block of Glendale Avenue NE: 99,300 gallons into East Fork Little Pudding River 1400 block of Greenwood Drive NE: an unknown volume into Claggett Creek 500 block of Idylwood Drive SE: an unknown volume into West Fork Pringle Creek 2000 block of Village Center Drive SE: an unknown volume into West Middle Fork Pringle Creek 4300 block of Nalani Court SE: an unknown volume into West Fork Pringle Creek  UPDATE : As of Friday afternoon, hours before Salem’s rivers and creeks are expected to reach their peak height, several southeast Salem roads adjacent to Mill Creek had closed due to flooding and dozens were left without power.A level 1 evacuation warning people living near Mill and Pringle creeks to be ready to evacuate stood as of 2:30 p.m., according to city of Salem Emergency Manager Joe Hutchinson.Hutchinson said high water levels are expected to peak during the late afternoon or early evening Friday. The city has a map of water levels here.  The Willamette River is currently flowing at 18.6 feet and is forecasted to rise to 23.1 feet by 4 p.m. on Saturday, Hutchinson said. That will be just over the 21.2-foot level officials initiate flood precautions according to the National Water Prediction Service.While the weather was sunny in the late afternoon, there’s a chance of showers every day through Dec. 25, according to the National Weather Service. Three southeast Salem roads near Mill Creek were closed as of Friday afternoon, including Southeast 23rd Street between State Street and Southeast Ferry Street, sections of Southeast 24th Street, Southeast Trade Street and Southeast Richmond Avenue. See a map of active road closures here. A city map of road closures near Southeast Mill Creek due to flooding as of 1:45 p.m. Dec. 19, 2025. (CITY OF SALEM photo) Around 130 PGE customers were without power as of 3 p.m. Friday, according to the company’s outage map. Salem Electric, which serves West Salem, reported fewer than nine outages on its outage map.Hutchinson said city crews are working to clear debris from drains and underneath bridges, and continue to stock sandbag filling stations. The city opened an additional station at Mill Race Park, located at 2100 Ferry St. S.E. Flooding at the intersection of Southeast Ferry Street and Southeast 23rd Street on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, near Mill Creek. (RON COOPER/ Salem Reporter) CASA of Marion County’s basement flooded with about 2 inches of water Friday, said Susie Rice, the organization’s development director, and continued to creep up the basement stairs into the afternoon. Their office, located at 454 17th St. N.E., is about a block away from Mill Creek.Rice said they’re seeking volunteers to help place sandbags and carry items out of the basement. She said those interested can reach her on her cell phone at, 503-896-1194.  “Our resources are little, so we want to hold onto all of the stuff that we have, so it doesn’t  have to be replaced besides all of the damage that will be incurred,” Rice said. “It’s pretty bad.” Mill Creek near the Willamette Heritage Center on Friday afternoon. (ABBEY MCDONALD/Salem Reporter) ORIGINAL STORY: The city of Salem at midday Friday alerted people living near Mill and Pringle creeks to be ready to evacuate due to rising water levels and flood risks. The city’s alert went out around 11:10 a.m. Friday, notifying people of a level 1 evacuation for areas along Mill Creek, Shelton Ditch and the lower stretch of Pringle Creek.  The level 1 evacuation notice means people in the area should be ready to evacuate if water levels continue to rise or flooding risks increase.  The city also announced that city services were closed Friday at the Parkway Building, 440 Church St. S.E., which houses customer services and permit applications. Mill Creek stretches from Southeast Turner Road in south Salem and then north by the Willamette Heritage Center before winding through the Grant neighborhood before spilling into the Willamette River.  The city of Salem alert notifying people to be ready to evacuate parts of the city near Mill and Pringle creeks. The alert specified that lower Pringle Creek, which is north of Southeast Mission Street, is under the level 1 notice. Shelton Ditch, a waterway running from Southeast 25th Street to downtown, is also part of the notice. On its website, the city said Salem will see more flooding than previously expected on Friday after the significant rain that fell Thursday. Mill Creek’s watershed received more rainwater over Thursday night than expected, and the water was flowing to streams and creeks throughout Salem and raising water levels. “We are starting to see flooding now. Waters will continue to rise until larger streams hit their peak sometime between 2 and 7 p.m. today,” the city’s website said. Two parts of Pringle Creek, one near North Salem High School and another in Turner, are at flood levels of more than 10 feet. A major flood stage is considered to be at 11.8 feet, Salem Reporter previously reported. Shelton Ditch is seeing 10.2 feet of water near the Salem Hospital. The city has a website tracking updates to flooding levels at local waterways and impacts to local residents and city services. That is available here. Sandbag stations are open at three locations in Salem: •Woodmansee Park, 4629 Sunnyview Road S.E. •Mill Race Park, 2100 Ferry St. S.E. •City Public Works Department on Southeast Oxford Street near 22nd Street •West Salem Park and Ride Station on Northwest Brush College Road. SANDBAG MAP: Salem sandbag stations Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected]. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post UPDATE: Mill Creek floodwater closes roads, dozens without power Friday afternoon appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less