Coast Guard helicopters, others rescue dozens from rising floodwaters on Oregon coast

NESKOWIN, Ore. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard used two helicopters to help rescue over a dozen people from rising waters at an RV park on the Oregon coast Friday as heavy rains in the Pacific Northwest prompted warnings of floods and landslides.

The Coast Guard said on Twitter that “evacuation efforts were ongoing” from the RV Park off Highway 101 along Neskowin Creek in Tillamook County, about 90 miles southwest of Portland. A rescue swimmer was also on the scene.

The Coast Guard later tweeted that its crews had rescued a dozen people and three dogs from the RV park, while partner agencies rescued another eight people, while about 30 elected to remain in the park.

Flood warnings were also in place Friday for several rivers in western Washington, as well as parts of Oregon, as heavy rains continued in the Pacific Northwest.

Advisories were issued for the Skokomish River at Potlatch, the Tolt River above Carnation, the Snoqualmie River near Snoqualmie Falls, the Puyallup River near Orting and the Nisqually River affecting Lewis and Pierce counties.

Forecasters said the storms are being caused by an "atmospheric river," known as the Pineapple Express. Rains may ease some Saturday, but more precipitation is expected Saturday night through next week.

In Oregon, heavy rains raised the risk of mudslides and debris flows in areas recently burned by wildfires. More than 2 inches of rain fell in some areas in the western part of the state in a 24-hour period Thursday and heavy rains were expected to continue through Friday evening, the National Weather Service in Portland said.

Astoria, in the state’s far northwest corner, set a new record for rainfall Thursday with just over 2 inches of rain, the most since the previous record for the date set 70 years ago.

A flood watch was in effect for several counties on the Oregon coast and standing water in the roadways made driving treacherous across the Portland area.

Landslides were reported on the coast and along the Columbia River Highway east of Portland. U.S. Highway 101 is closed at milepost 65 in Tillamook due to flooding, KPTV reported.

The storm also caused a power outage that closed several schools and district offices in Lake Oswego, south of Portland.