Downtown Pullman Flooded Despite New Infrastructure as South Fork Nears Historic Levels

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A portion of downtown Pullman, Washington flooded over the weekend, closing Main Street and sending water into nearby businesses. City officials say the new infrastructure installed in 2024, including improved drainage, worked as designed but was overwhelmed by the high floodwaters from the South Fork of the Palouse River. The river crested at nearly 9 feet, the highest level since 1997 and the 6th worst on record. Some business owners are expressing frustration over the city's response and the continued flooding issues.

Why it matters

Pullman has struggled with downtown flooding for years, and the new infrastructure project was meant to address those issues. The continued flooding raises questions about the city's long-term flood mitigation plans and whether the current approach is sufficient to protect the downtown area.

The details

The flooding occurred at the Pine Street Plaza, closing Main Street and sending water into adjacent businesses. City officials say the new drainage system installed in 2024 worked as designed, but the high floodwaters from the South Fork of the Palouse River were simply too much for the system to handle. The pedestrian bridge at the Pine Street Plaza floated off its abutments, similar to what happened during last year's February flood.

• The South Fork of the Palouse River in Pullman crested at nearly 9 feet on Saturday morning, March 16, 2026.
• The new downtown infrastructure was installed in 2024.
• The pedestrian bridge at the Pine Street Plaza floated off its abutments during the February 2025 flood.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Crews will have to wait until after flood season to assess the pedestrian bridge and determine a plan forward, which may include scrapping the current bridge and going with a new design that is less prone to flooding.