Portland Forecast: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall, 2 Inches In 24 Hours

PORTLAND, OR —The National Weather Service's Portland office has a very simple message: it's going to rain. A lot. There likely will be flooding.

Forecasters say that starting Wednesday night, "there will be periods of moderate to heavy rain" that could result in two inches on the valley floor by morning. They say that there could be additional two inches by Saturday morning.

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The higher you go, the more rain that will be there waiting for you.

The weather service says that in the Cascades and the Coast Range, there could be up to six inches. Once it starts, it's not expected to start slowing down until the weekend.

All that rain is going to bring flooding.

Officials want people to be rady, warning that for people who live near rivers and creeks especially to be aware of what's going on. They also note that with fall here, leaves are falling, and many end up in storm gutters, which could cause urban flooding.

The Oregon Emergency Management office offers the following reminders:

Stay informed

• Monitor the weather forecast for watches, warnings or advisories at https://www.weather.gov.
• Sign up for local emergency alerts at https://oralert.gov.
• If told to evacuate, do so immediately.

Drive with caution

• Be aware of the latest road conditions before driving by checking http://tripcheck.com.
• Be alert when driving; embankments along roadsides may fail, sending rock and debris onto the road.
• Turn on lights, increase following distance and slow down.
• Don’t drive through flood water; just 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult, and a foot of rushing water can carry away most cars.

Heed flood watches and warnings

• A Flood Advisory is issued when a specific weather event that is forecast to occur may become a nuisance: Be aware.
• A Flood Watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding to occur: Be prepared.
• A Flood Warning is issued when flooding is imminent or already occurring: Take action.

Know the signs of landslides

• Look for changes in landscape like leaning trees, land movement, or a trickle of falling mud or debris.
• Pay attention if the water in streams or creeks suddenly turns muddy or the water flow suddenly decreases or increases.
• Listen for unusual sounds, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together, that might indicate moving debris.