A trucking advisory has been issued in Northwest Oregon because of extreme rain conditions that have caused slides and closures on several state highways, the Oregon Department of Transportation said Tuesday, Nov. 7. The state DOT said its road crews have been working around the clock to mitigate problems and repair damages.
For the latest information on road closures and road conditions, motor carriers are urged to go to www.tripcheck.com, or call the Oregon road report at 511 within Oregon or 800-977-6368 outside Oregon.
Record rainfall has brought heavy flooding to parts of the Northwest, killing at least one person, causing evacuations and damaging roads and houses. Storms eased in some Washington counties on Tuesday after dumping record rainfall. Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared an emergency in Tillamook County, where about 100 people were evacuated because of rising floodwaters.
The Pineapple Express storm, named for its origin in warm Pacific waters, had dumped from 3 to 15 inches on Oregon by Tuesday, mostly on the coast and the northwestern corner of the state. Weather-related road closures were common, affecting parts of U.S. Routes 101 and 26.
