Lane County is advising residents to stock up on emergency supplies in preparation for another “atmospheric river” and high winds expected to hit southern Oregon at the end of January.
According to the Climate Prediction Center at the National Weather Service, increased rainfall and intense winds are expected to hit the West Coast between Jan. 31 and Feb. 5.
“A possibly heavy rain and high wind event so close on the heels of the ice storm will be challenging,” said Jeff Kincaid, the interim Lane County Emergency Manager.
If this system occurs as predicted, it could mean localized flooding, more downed trees and more downed power lines for residents still reeling from the impacts of a recent ice storm and other winter weather, according to the county.
“It’s about a 50-to-60 percent chance that we’re going to see above-average precipitation during that time,” said Briana Muhlestein, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Portland. “As we get closer to that time period, we’ll know more, but the actual amounts we don’t know yet.”