Oregon Route 43 north of Lake Oswego in the Briarwood Road area was closed due to downed trees and power lines Thursday morning, March 12, 2026. Heavy rain is predicted for the region, and a flood watch is in effect through Friday night for much of the Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Gillian Flaccus / OPB
A flood watch is in effect through Friday night for much of Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington due to widespread heavy rain in the region.
The National Weather Service says areas west of the Cascades and north Benton and Linn counties will see the most rain as an atmospheric river passes through.
Flood warnings are in effect for the Wilson River in Tillamook County and for Grays River in Wahkiakum County.
As of 11:19 PM The Grays River near Rosburg in Washington has entered into Minor Flood stage & is forecast to remain there through Thursday. Expect some flooding of roads along and near the Grays River, especially downstream of the gage including... 1/2 pic.twitter.com/wokpXW3Zfd
— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) March 12, 2026
A flood warning was also issued for some areas of Multnomah County Thursday morning, including in Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village along Johnson Creek and Beaver Creek.
“While the probability for mainstem river flooding is low, some of the more flood-prone coastal and Coast Range rivers have risen to minor or major flood stage,” according to the NWS area forecast discussion. “With heavy rain rates, an areal flood watch remains in effect through Friday evening.”
The heavy rain could also lead to landslides and debris flows throughout the impacted areas.
A landslide has already closed all lanes of the Historic Columbia River Highway east of Corbett.
UPDATE: The Historic Columbia River Highway will remain closed east of #Corbett between Larch Mountain Road and #VistaHouse due to a landslide. We do not have an estimate for reopening, so please use another route. Use https://t.co/SsqxkwGpZQ for updates.
— OregonDOT (@OregonDOT) March 12, 2026
See the latest traffic updates at TripCheck.com
Meanwhile a winter weather advisory is still in place through 11 p.m. Thursday for the north Oregon Cascades. Up to 10 inches of wet snow could fall at elevations above 3,000 feet.
Areas above 5,000 feet could see more than a foot of snow, along with wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour.
A landslide Wednesday morning, March 12, 2026, has led to the closure of a stretch of the Historic Columbia River Highway east of Corbett between the Portland Women's Forum and Larch Mountain Road.
Courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation via X
Oregon Department of Transportation officials warn that roads could be slick and hazardous. Drivers in the area are urged to carry winter emergency travel kits, including tire chains.
“Anywhere you travel in northwest Oregon this week, be prepared for heavy rain at lower elevations and snow on the mountain passes due to the atmospheric river rainfall,” ODOT said in a press release.
