Atmospheric river brings threat of localized flooding in region
Published 10:31 am Sunday, March 16, 2025
The National Weather Service in Medford warns that very heavy rainfall will hit the region and cause areas of localized flooding.
NWS Medford issued a flood watch through Sunday afternoon, and it said rainfall will push through Southern Oregon and to the east of the Cascades late Sunday night.
The potential for flooding is a result of rain and snowmelt, forecasters said.
“Rain amounts of 3 to 6 inches will be common along the coast and into the Umpqua Basin, with amounts possibly exceeding 8 inches in the coastal ranges of southern Coos, Curry and western Josephine counties,” an NWS advisory said Sunday morning. “Amounts of 1 to 3 inches will be common south of the Rogue-Umpqua Divide in the Upper Rogue Valley and in western Siskiyou County. In addition to the heavy rain, some snow melt could also lead to increased run off and increasing the risk for flooding.”
The flood watch includes all of Jackson County and many regional areas, including Josephine County, western Siskiyou County, the south-central Oregon Coast, the Curry County coast, central Douglas County, eastern Curry County and eastern Douglas County foothills.
“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas,” NWS said.
Check the Oregon Department of Transportation’s tripcheck.com website for the latest on road closures.
See the NWS Medford homepage for details on the latest forecasts.