Nightime photograph of an area affected by the Vanport Flood. Billboards and buildings are reflected in the flood water. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of debris and a destroyed building in the water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. The building floats in the floodwater after having been lifted from its foundation. There are 2 people on the roof. Buses line the side of a road in the background. Photograph is slightly blurry. Two handwritten notes on back read, "Jerry," and "Doyle," indicating this was possibly taken by either Jerry Jiro Yasutome or another student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of flood water surrounding a long building during the Vanport Flood, 1948. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of 3 men standing on a road, looking at the damage caused by the Vanport Flood. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. In the foreground, a power pole, debris, and the roof of a building sit in high flood water. Taken by an unidentified student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of debris and destroyed buildings in the water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of 4 people in a row boat navigating around debris in the Vanport Flood, 1948. Behind them, an apartment building floats in the floodwater after having been lifted from its foundation. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of a destroyed apartment building floating in a sea of debris in the water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. The building was lifted from its foundation by the flood. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Nightime photograph of a flooded area of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon during the Vanport Flood. Union Station and the Broadway Bridge are both visible. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of widespread flooding on the Willamette River during the Vanport Flood. Taken from the east side of the river, a large industrial building is surrounded by water. Taken by an unidentified student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Aerial photograph of widespread flooding during the Vanport Flood. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. Taken by an unidentified student at the Northwest School of Photography. This print is from the same negative or take as OrgLot762_B1F7_001.

An envelope containing commemorative photographs taken during the Vanport flood in 1948. The envelope is white with red lettering that reads, "10 Selected Snapshots 50C. Vanport City, Ore. Destroyed by the Mighty Columbia River. May 30, 1948." Vanport City, once the second largest city in Oregon, was destroyed by a flood on May 30, 1948 when water breached a nearby section of the dike along the Columbia River.

Photograph of flooding at Union Station in Portland, Oregon during the Vanport Flood, 1948. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of the Staff Jennings building in the flood water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. A sign on the building states that the company sells boats, motors, and marine equipment. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of several people in a boat next to a flooded apartment building during the Vanport Flood, 1948. One person has their hands on the roof of the building while the others look inside an open window. Several surrounding apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Nightime photograph of an area affected by the Vanport Flood. A sign in the foreground reads, "Dirt Wanted. Dump Here." In the background is a large building surrounded by water and a sign pointing the way to Portland Meadows. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of a large pile of debris in front of a destroyed apartment building in the water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. Photograph is slightly blurry. Two handwritten notes on back read, "Jerry," and "Doyle," indicating this was possibly taken by either Jerry Jiro Yasutome or another student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of debris and destroyed buildings in the water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. In the foreground, the long roof of a building is visible above the water. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of people spreading dirt on top of sandbags on the west bank of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon to control flooding during the Vanport Flood. Union Station and the Steel Bridge are visible in the background. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of debris and destroyed buildings in the water of the Vanport Flood, 1948. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. Three water towers are visible in the background. Handwritten note on back reads, "Jerry," indicating this was likely taken by Jerry Jiro Yasutome when he was a student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of people standing on scattered rooftops of flooded buildings during the Vanport Flood, 1948. Several apartment buildings float in the floodwater after having been lifted from their foundations. Two handwritten notes on back read, "Jerry," and "Doyle," indicating this was possibly taken by either Jerry Jiro Yasutome or another student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of widespread flooding of the Willamette River at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon during the Vanport Flood. Taken by an unidentified student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Photograph of people gathering on a road near an affected area of the Vanport Flood. Two boats are on the road. Behind them, destroyed buildings and debris are visible in the flood water. Taken by an unidentified student at the Northwest School of Photography.

Delores Skovgaard sorting through personal items after residents were allowed back into Vanport, Oregon following the Vanport flood. The caption on the photograph reads, “My sister Dee helping.”

A view of damaged apartment buildings in Vanport, Oregon after the water receded from the Vanport flood. The caption on the photograph reads, “Slough in background. No more bridge from Victory Avenue across Bayou Slough to Island Avenue.”

Unidentified people climbing over piles of debris left behind after the flood waters retreated during the Vanport flood. Several apartment buildings lifted from their foundations by the flood waters are visible in the wreckage.

A view of damaged apartment buildings in Vanport, Oregon after the water receded from the Vanport flood. The caption on the photograph reads, “Our apartment house.”

Agnes Skovgaard sorting through personal items after residents were allowed back into Vanport, Oregon following the Vanport flood. Caption on the image reads, “My mother sorting through personal items after the flood to see if anything was worth saving. Very little.”

Agnes and Delores Skovgaard standing behind a picket fence in front of their apartment in Vanport, Oregon. They are sorting through personal items after residents were allowed back into Vanport following the Vanport flood. The caption on the photograph reads, “My Mother, Netta and Sister, Delores, trying to sort out any savable items from apartment.”