Roads Closed by Slides in Oregon Coast Range (VIDEOS)

Good weather should aid Oregon highway crews dispatched to clear the areas.

Photo courtesy: YouTube

(TILLAMOOK, Ore.) - A mud slide has closed Oregon 6, the Wilson River Highway, at mile post 15. Crews are responding and working to clear the scene, according to Adam Torgerson with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

"Crews will continue to work from both sides of the slide area and hope to have at least one lane cleared today. Depending on the condition of the underlying road, crews will determine whether or not further repairs are needed before traffic can safely travel through the area," Torgerson said.

U.S. 101 remains closed from mile post 23 - 24, between its junction with U.S. 26 and Seaside, because standing water is creating a safety concern. Torgerson told Salem-News it is an idea the agency watches closely during periods of adverse weather.

"All those areas through the coast range are something we keep an eye on when the area gets heavy with moisture, it can really create a number of problems and people need to be careful."

One piece of good news is the current weather forecast, calling for clear skies in the coming days.

"Positive weather helps, the more precipitation we have, the more slides. The good weather is helpful. In addition to the slides there is a lot of debris, and our crews will be out most of the day taking care of that."

Torgerson says their bridge crews have also been dispatched, joining other ODOT crews that are engaged in the cleanup efforts.

He says motorists are asked to keep their driving minimal. "In Seaside, people in high profile vehicles are being guided through some of the impacted areas. If you have to drive you should employ plenty of caution."

Crews will use a pilot car to guide high clearance vehicles through, but all other traffic will be rerouted. The detour route follows Oregon 202 to Oregon 103 and back to U.S. 26.

-YouTube video from CBS News, firefighters in Tillamook, Oregon rescue seven people from raging waters as flash flooding caused creeks to overflow into the roads. Michelle Gielan reports:

Video

This YouTube video from user tbowers1982 is titled "Jared and Tyler escape from the rain." It shows drivers manuevering the heavily rain-soaked Northwest roads and was posted Tuesday:

The next video by YouTube user AMichaelHall shows flooding in the neighboring state of Washington. is titled, "Snoqualmie Falls at Stage 4 flood condition (sum of forks ~42000 cfs in this video)":

SEASIDE - U.S. 101 is reopened between its junction with U.S. 26 and Seaside. Crews will continue to monitor road 

conditions in the area, so please drive with caution.