Category 5 Atmospheric River Event Triggers Power Outages, Flooding, Landslides, One Missing Person in Dodson
Source. Pictured: Aerial view of landslide on Frontage road and I-84 near Dodson, OR.
Sure, the PNW is known for its rainy days but not quite like this.
Tuesday night brought heavy rains and high winds, with gusts that reached 53-60 mph in some places, leaving more than 600,000 homes and businesses without power across Washington and Oregon this morning. High winds and heavily saturated ground brought down trees across dozens of roads and on to powerlines, and caused numerous landslides one of which has lead to reports of a missing person in Dodson, OR and lead to closures on SR-14 and I-18 Eastbound.
Many people report having been woken up in the middle of the night by the wind and rain as it shook trees and blew things off porches on its journey east across the state.
Power Outages
Klickitat PUD reported that it is currently experiencing unplanned power outages in the Glenwood, Trout Lake, Snowden and High Prairie areas due to the weather. There are also reports of outages in Lyle, WA. Klickitat County PUD crews are out inspecting lines to identify the locations or causes of the outages. If you are without power, please contact KPUD at (800) 548-8357.
Landslides
SR-14 is currently CLOSED between MP 55 & 56 in the Dog Mountain Area where SCSO and WSP are working a landslide and traffic collision which occurred at 7:27 PM last night.
Highway 30 is also closed 7 miles West of Ainsworth State Park MP 15 - 17 between Bridal Veil exit and Multnomah Falls due to landslide.
Eastbound I-84 is closed indefinitely at the Troutdale exit for a landslide that spilled onto the freeway at MP 35 near the community of Dodson. The landslide is estimated to be 10 feet deep in places.
One person was been reported missing in the Dodson area following the landslide. First responders (ODOT, OSP, MCSO) are on scene searching the area. The missing person was been identified as Jennifer Moore, 50, of Warrendale. Moore worked as an oncology nurse at the Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center.
"It’s believed the vehicle they were driving in was swept away by the debris flow," said the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. "Firefighters were not able to locate any heat sources using thermal-imaging cameras. It remains too dangerous for physical search."
“Oregon Department of Transportation is working to determine whether the hillside is stable & safe enough to allow emergency crews to begin clearing the debris, primarily mud, boulders, logs, and continue searching for the missing person,” said Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
UPDATE 01/23/21: The body of Jennifer Moore was recovered under 15 feet of mud, rock, and debris by a private contractor using ground-penetrating radar.
A "significant" landslide was also reported on West Burnside Road in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday night, KATU reported. The landslide knocked down trees, power lines and shut down the road.
Flooding
Evacuation orders, flash flood warnings remain in effect in Dodson today.
The National Weather Service has also issued flood warnings in several areas in Washington state.
Source. Pictured: National Weather Service Map of Flood and Weather Warnings near the Columbia River Gorge.
Road Closures
Several law enforcement agencies reminded the public today that power outages may cause traffic lights to stop working and to treat dead traffic lights as 4 way stops. Officials also recommended that drivers exercise caution, be aware of potential debris such as rocks, earth, and downed trees on the road, don’t drive under or over downed power lines, and watch out for high water. Officials also asked that “If you don’t need to travel today, please stay home.”
Road closures in Oregon.
Road closures in Washington.
What’s with the weather?
Last nights storms were part of a category 5 atmospheric river event stretching 2,700 miles long and ushered in the wettest start to the year on record for the Seattle area, which is now on track to receive 25% of it’s annual rainfall by January 15th.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration atmospheric rivers are long, narrow regions in the atmosphere-- like rivers the the sky -- that transport water vapor.
Wednesday’s weather for the Columbia River Gorge looks to be mostly sunny with chances of rainbows. Hopefully giving rescue crews and emergency response teams an extra boost as they work to sort out the damage wrought by the storm.
Pictured: The Morning After the Storm: Mostly Blue Skies and a Rainbow over The Dalles, OR on January 13th, 2021 around 9:00 AM.
