While extreme weather in Oregon is not a new phenomenon, the frequency and intensity of the extremes are increasing with a changing climate, causing more natural disasters to disrupt our natural resources and livelihood.
Extreme weather includes severe winter storms, floods, heat domes, drought, and more. No matter what natural disaster risk is in your area, always make a plan to be prepared for the worst.
Visit ready.gov/severe-weather for more information.
Ice
Winter storms occur every year in Oregon. This includes moderate cold winds and low temperatures to heavy snowfall, freezing rain and icy roads. These storms can quickly accelerate into multi-day or weeks long events that can leave communities without power, resources, and cause dangerous hazards. Winter storms also create higher risk of car accidents, frostbite, hypothermia, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
It’s important to keep an eye on the weather during the winter, so you can plan accordingly for travel and preparedness. Know the difference between a winter storm advisory, a watch, and a warning:
- Winter Storm Warning: issued when hazardous snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet is imminent. Winter Storm Warnings are issued 12 to 24 hours before the event is expected to begin.
- Winter Storm Watch: alerts of the possibility of a blizzard, heavy snow, heavy freezing rain, or heavy sleet. Issued 12 to 48 hours before the beginning of the Winter Storm.
- Winter Weather Advisory: issued for accumulation of snow, freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and sleet which will cause significant inconveniences and could lead to life threatening situations.
Follow these safety tips to prepare for winter storms:
- Avoid unnecessary travel. If you do travel, make sure to keep an emergency kit in your car with enough provisions, warm bedding, and supplies to sleep in your car if needed.
- If you do plan to travel, prep your home to avoid burst pipes and damage by leaving the heat on at a minimum of 55 degrees F, open cupboards, and leave the faucets on at a drip to keep water the water flow throughout pipes.
- Animal care: bring pets inside during winter storms, and make sure livestock are sheltered and have access to food and water.
Power outages are common during severe weather in the winter due to high winds, downed trees, or icy conditions. Make sure your emergency kit is well stocked with supplies and provisions to stay safe and warm in case of long lasting power outages.
Heat
We typically enjoy a moderate climate by living in Oregon, but our summers have been seeing more intense and long lasting high heat events that contribute to drought, wildfires, and human health issues. Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for at least two to three days. This takes a toll on your body, as it works harder to maintain a normal temperature and to cool down, which can lead to death in some cases. This type of severe weather is the leading cause of annual deaths among all weather related hazards.
To prepare for extreme heat:
- Become familiar with the signs of heat illness and heat stroke.
- Try to acquire multiple cooling devices; don’t rely on just fans, as they aren’t able to lower the temperature or prevent heat related illnesses. Install window or portable air conditioning units if possible.
- Identify public spaces in your community with air conditioning such as libraries, shopping malls, or cooling centers you can go during the heat of the day to cool down.
- Cover windows with dark curtains or shades.
- Weather strip doors and windows.
- Use window reflectors to reflect heat back outside.
- Add insulation to your home to keep the heat out.
Read this ready.gov FAQ sheet for extreme heat information to learn more.
Drought
Drought is a complex topic, and occurs at different levels throughout each year, depending on location. However, in the big picture of Oregon’s climate, we have seen overall changes in the water supply that is impacting the entire state. Even with a ‘wetter than average spring season’, the amount of average precipitation we receive annually over the last twenty years has not been enough to completely replenish all of the natural waterways and ground water systems. Currently, Oregon is experiencing the longest known period of continuous drought on record for the past 1200 years (Oregon.gov). The combination of lower precipitation levels and higher average temperatures causes water to evaporate from the Earth’s surface more. Early rapid snowmelt from the mountains leads to longer summer season which in turn lowers availability of water in streams and the ground.
The leading contributors to drought are temperature and precipitation like rain or snowfall. These both influence snowpack, soil moisture, and streamflow which are indicators of drought. Drought can disrupt water supply cycles to the point where demand for water is greater than supply, putting more pressure on both human and ecosystem resources. Over the years, drought in Oregon has persisted and become more intense. This is putting pressure on our community water resources, agricultural yields, and the health of ecosystems. It’s important for everyone to make an effort to save water as much as possible, to reduce the strain on our natural resources and prevent further impacts from drought.
How can you help?
- Outside your home: inspect your irrigation system for leaks, consider reducing watering your grass lawns or replacing them completely with drought tolerant ground cover, adjust watering schedule to mornings and evenings, mow your grass at a higher setting, aerate your soil, use mulch around plants, minimize or eliminate fertilizer, don’t use water to clean patios/sidewalks/driveways.
- Inside your home: test your water meter and check for leaks, wash only full loads of dishes and laundry, defrost food in the fridge instead of the sink, compost food scraps instead of using a garbage disposal, turn off the faucet while brushing teeth or cleaning dishes, shorten your shower time, retrofit shower heads/faucets/aerators, replace your old toilet to upgrade to a water saving toilet.
- On your farm or ranch: regularly fix leaks in irrigation, upgrade to a more efficient irrigation system, make sure nozzles are working correctly, monitor how much water you’re using, test soil moisture, plant less water intensive crops, turn off end guns and leave the field corners fallow, use a cover crop in the off season or in rows between crops. Reach out to our staff about assistance with water conservation projects!
Visit Oregon.gov to learn more about drought.
Flood
Floods occur when heavy or steady rain soaks the ground for hours or days and are fairly common in the Willamette Valley. Some floods are develop slowly over a period of days, but flash floods can develop quickly and can carry debris, rocks, and mud. Overland flooding occurs outside of a streambed or river, such as when a levee is breached. Floods are also a great concern where dams are located, if they are at risk of breaking and releasing all of the water at once.
At times, this heavy rain and flooding may even cause landslide.
Follow these flood safety tips:
- Stay tuned to local radio and news as well as NOAA weather alert systems for flood warnings and reports.
- Be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.
- If there is a warning in your area for a flood or flash flood, head to higher ground.
- If you are walking through a flood, try to stay higher than 6 inches of water, as any level higher than that with swift moving water is able to sweep someone of their feet.
- If you are driving, and you enter flood waters, turn around and go another way.
- Avoid areas of high landslide risk such as canyon bottoms, bases of hillsides, roads and areas where slopes have been excavated.
- Talk with your insurance agent to learn what is needed to protect your home. Get flood coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
- Plan and practice a flood evacuation route with your family.
- Have a licensed electrician raise electrics outlets (switches, sockets, circuit breakers and wiring) at least 12″ above your home’s project flood elevation.
- Visit the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to find your official flood map.
After a flood:
- Don’t enter your home until local authorities announce it’s safe to do so.
- Avoid driving if possible.
- Wear protective clothing and boots during clean up and wear a face mask if cleaning mold.
- Be aware of wildlife that may be in your home.
- Be aware of electrocution risk. Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water. Turn off electricity to prevent shock if it’s safe to do so. Also be aware of downed power lines in water that could cause electrocution.
- Only use generators or gas powered machinery outdoors and away from windows.