Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Flood Watch for Columbia County; Potential Landslides

FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR223 PM PST WED NOV 18 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PORTLAND HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... NORTH OREGON COAST-COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-WILLAPA HILLS-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASTORIA...CANNON BEACH...TILLAMOOK...VERNONIA...JEWELL...TRASK...FRANCES...RYDERWOOD...RAYMOND...LONG BEACH...CATHLAMET

* FROM MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON

* HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES IN THE WILLAPA HILLS AND 2 TO 3 INCHES IN THE NORTH OREGON COAST RANGE AND ALONG THE NORTH OREGON AND SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.

* RIVERS OF GREATEST CONCERN FOR FLOODING INCLUDE THE WILLAPA...GRAYS AND NASELLE RIVERS IN SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON...THE LOWER NEHALEM RIVER IN TILLAMOOK COUNTY OREGON AND THE NECANICUM RIVER IN CLATSOP COUNTY OREGON. IF THE FRONTAL BAND MOVES FURTHER SOUTH THE WILSON AND TRASK RIVERS COULD ALSO BE IMPACTED. THERE IS LESS OF A THREAT FOR THE WILSON AND TRASK RIVERS EXCEPT ALONG THE LOWEST REACHES WHERE HIGH TIDES COULD RESULT IN FLOODING ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ONCURRENT FORECASTS.LANDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THIS FLOOD EVENT.PEOPLE...STRUCTURES AND ROADS LOCATED BELOW STEEP SLOPES...INCANYONS AND NEAR THE MOUTHS OF CANYONS MAY BE AT SERIOUS RISKFROM RAPIDLY MOVING LANDSLIDES.YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLEFLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BEPREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.THE NEXT UPDATE FOR THIS WATCH WILL BE ISSUED BY 1 AM THURSDAY.