Click here for a list of all the important events that occured during this incident.

See 72 Hour Mode for a full description of Frank West's ordeal in Willamette.

The Willamette Incident was a series of events that took place in Willamette, Colorado from September 19 to September 22, 2006.

Though the United States government tried to cover up the story as a simple riot, this couldn't be further from the truth. The town was in fact under attack from Zombies.

The zombies arose when Carlito Keyes unleashed the Ampulex Compressa Giganteus species on the town in revenge for a similar outbreak in the Central American town of Santa Cabeza accidentally caused by the US government, resulting in the death of his friends and family. Special Forces were forced to kill everybody in Santa Cabeza when they turned into zombies.

The town of Willamette soon crippled under the force of the undead. Bands of survivors retreated to the towns only source of entertainment; the Willamette Parkview Mall, and barricaded themselves inside. Carlito himself had set up a hideout within the mall, where he monitored the survivors, and kept tabs on activity outside the mall.

When news about Willamette being quarantined went public, idealistic photojournalist Frank West set off to cover the story and make a name for himself. However, when he arrived, the entrance to the mall was breached and the zombies flooded in.

Frank quickly discovered the real situation, and took it upon himself to solve the case behind the outbreak with the help of DHS agents Brad Garrison and Jessie McCarney. Another source of help came in the form of Carlito's younger sister; Isabela Keyes. Isabela shared her brother's grief for the people of Santa Cabeza, but was able to accept that the outbreak was an accident, and the intentions of the research conducted there were good.

After learning of the full truth, Frank and Isabela escaped Willamette and spread the truth about both incidents to the public. The US government were forced to admit responsibility for Santa Cabeza, but they blamed Willamette solely on terrorists (which, in a sense, was true, as Carlito's actions could be considered such.).

AftermathEdit

The cleanup operation in Willamette left the town devoid of any form of life, and still remains sealed off by government. The public were still in shock at the thought of another occurrence like the Willamette Incident, but soon let it fade from their minds.

Using her superior scientific knowledge, Isabela went on to create what is currently known as Zombrex, a drug that hinders the zombification process temporarily if taken at the required time each day. It was hailed a miracle drug, however, Isabela's good intentions were soon exploited for all the wrong reasons, and her discovery was later used by the pharmaceutical organization, Phenotrans, in the cause of further outbreaks for financial gain. Unfortunately Isabela had possibly taken the first step towards a complete cure, but her invention was now responsible for the deaths of thousands.

Of course, Phenotrans made sure to keep themselves from being exposed as criminals and cover stories were put in place while the company continued to receive universal praise.

One particular outbreak orchestrated by Phenotrans took place in Fortune City, Nevada where things did not go exactly as they had planned. This story is covered in Dead Rising 2.