Landslide Caution, Nov. 24

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch from Thursday morning through Friday evening for areas of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. The watch area includes the Portland metro area, the north and central Oregon coast and Coast Range, the central and south Willamette Valley, and the south Washington coast. Track Oregon flood watches here: http://1.usa.gov/1EM7qNl “Landslides can be triggered by intense rainfall, and landslides and debris flows are possible during this weather,” says Ali Ryan Hansen, communications director for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI). “Be aware of landslides as a potential hazard and use extreme caution when traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.” Avoiding areas where landslides are more likely to occur is an important safety step, Hansen says. 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, Hansen says, 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. For more landslide and debris flow information: http://bit.ly/landslidehazards