Heavy rainfall, and in some parts flooding, covered much of the Pacific Northwest of the United States from Sunday through Monday, as “a parade of Pacific storms” continued to slam the region with record rainfall, according to the Weather Channel.
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The National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch for most of northwest OR and southwest Washington through Wednesday afternoon. It’s in effect through Thursday afternoon, but rain likely won’t stop until the week’s end.
Excessive rainfall could lead to a rise in area rivers, weather officials said.
Record rainfall in Portland, Oregon didn’t stop this “swimming kitty” (featured in the video above) from finding her way through flood waters on Monday.
Amtrak on Tuesday closed tracks between Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, because of high waters north of Portland Union Station.
State and local agencies are warning residents to prepare for more heavy rain and related problems, like flooding and landslides that block roads.
On Monday morning, Portland’s combined sewer system overflowed into the Willamette River and the Columbia Slough. It warned people to stay out of the river for 48 hours to avoid contamination.
Residents were evacuated from a neighborhood in Clackamas County, and the American Red Cross was opening a shelter there. Multiple roads were also closed in Clackamas County, including in Lake Oswego where several cars were stranded in high water.
And several school districts in northwest OR are sending students home earlier and cancel afternoon and evening activities.
The parking lot at a tourist destination, Multnomah Falls, was closed after Multnomah Creek overflowed its banks, running through a pedestrian tunnel, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. They are also advised to keep children and pets away from floodwaters and avoid walking and driving through high water. More than 3.3 inches of rain fell in the 24-hour span that ended Monday at 2 p.m. Places in the Coast Range got even more.
“Alerts for wind, flooding and mudslides will be common through the days of Wednesday and Thursday”, Hill added.
Rivera urged anyone who sees blocked roads or risky conditions to call the PBOT tip line at 503-823-1700. More wet weather is expected throughout the week.
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The rain and standing water disrupted TriMet buses and MAX and WES trains.
