Flooding closes Fern Hill Road south of Forest Grove
Flooding closed Fern Hill Road to all traffic from Taylor Way to Geiger Road south of Forest Grove Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 4.
The Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation said in a news release that flood gates are locked and the road is impassable.
"The flood gates on Fern Hill Road are locked across the road. Do not bike or walk around the gates. Avoid travel on roads covered by water. Evena few inches of flowing water can sweep vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians off the road," spokesperson Melissa De Lyser said in the release. "Turn around, don't drown."
In Washington County, motorists, pedestrians or bicyclists caught moving or traveling around road closure barricades receive $260 fines.
Fern Hill Road is one of the most frequently flooded roadways in Washington County. When the Tualatin River rises high enough, the floodplain it crosses is inundated and the road is covered over by water.
As rainy weather continues to soak northwest Oregon, a National Weather Service hydrograph of the Tualatin River near Dilley suggests the river has not yet crested. It is expected to reach its highest level less than 3 inches below its minor flood stage sometime late Friday, Jan. 7, or early Saturday, Jan. 8.
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