Landslide & Flood Watch, Jan. 18

With National Weather Service flood watches in effect Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 17 & 18, for multiple areas of Oregon, be alert for landslide hazards. Watch areas include the Portland metro area, the Cascade Foothills in Lane County, the northern Oregon Cascade Foothills, the south and central Willamette Valley, the north and central Oregon coast, the north and central Coast Range, and the lower Columbia. Track Oregon flood watches here: http://1.usa.gov/1EM7qNl Heavy rain can trigger landslides, according the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). Avoiding areas where landslides are more likely to occur is an important safety action. DOGAMI’s interactive SLIDO map offers a look at landslide hazards, and is a useful tool for identifying areas that are susceptible to landslides. The map is online at: www.oregongeology.org/slido People, structures and roads located below steep slopes in canyons and near the mouths of canyons may be at serious risk. In general, dangerous places include: – Canyon bottoms, stream channels, and areas of rock and soil accumulation at the outlets of canyons. – Bases of steep hillsides. – Road cuts or other areas where slopes of hills have been excavated or over-steepened. – Places where slides or debris flows have occurred in the past.