Be Alert for Landslides on Oregon's North Coast, Coast Range

"Intense rainfall is a common landslide trigger" - Bill Burns

2012 landslide closed Yaquina Bay Road west of Toledo Photo: newslincolncounty.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the north Oregon coast and the Coast Range from 3 p.m. today through Wednesday afternoon.

The watch includes the cities of Astoria, Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Netarts, Pacific City, Vernonia, Jewell, Sunset Summit, Lee's Camp and Trask.

Track this flood watch here: http://1.usa.gov/1HU259R

"Intense rainfall is a common landslide trigger," says Bill Burns, engineering geologist at the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI).

"Landslides and debris flows are possible during this weather event, so it's important to be aware of the potential hazard."

Debris flows are rapidly moving, extremely destructive landslides. They can easily travel a mile or more, depending on the terrain. They will transport boulders and logs in a fast-moving soil and water slurry.

People, structures and roads located below steep slopes in canyons and near the mouths of canyons may be at serious risk. Caution should be used when traveling.

According to DOGAMI, the most 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.

Learn more about landslides and debris flows and how to prepare for them: Statewide Landslide Information Database (SLIDO): www.oregongeology.org/slido Landslide and debris flow resources: http://www.oregongeology.org/sub/Landslide/debrisflow.htm