PORTLAND -- Rain and winds that knocked down branches and trees closed Highway 18 to the Oregon Coast Tuesday.
A flood watch was expected to last from Tuesday morning until Wednesday afternoon, as heavy rain looked to be developing across portions of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon.
Between two and three inches were expected on the coast until Wednesday morning.
National Weather Service officals warned of dangerous and fast-moving debris flows of boulders, logs and mud.
A high wind warning remained in effect Tuesday along the Central and Northern Oregon Coast, with a gust at Mt. Hebo east of Pacific City registering 97 mph.
Gusts hit 81 mph in Astoria, said KGW meteorologist Nick Allard.
ODOT issued a high water advisory on U.S. 101, just south of Seaside, at Beerman Creek. Motorists should slow down through the area, which has three inches of water on the roadway.
The winds Monday afternoon made it difficult for one visitor to walk up and down Cannon Beach, but she told KGW she wasn't going to let it stop her.
"We needed to see the Pacific Ocean, thought we’d check out the shipwreck," said Carol Powers. "You can’t avoid rain in Oregon, so you can’t not go outside.”
"Landslides and debris flows are possible during this flood event," the statement continued. "People, structures and roads located below steep slopes, in canyons and near the mouths of canyons may be at serious risk from rapidly moving landslides."
Courtesy KGW.com
