PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Heavy rain is slamming the Oregon coast Thursday, turning roads into rivers and soaking hillsides until they start to give way.

While locals tell KOIN 6 News they are used to these conditions, they are rapidly changing.

LIVE UPDATES: Atmospheric river drenches PNW with record rainfall, flooding

For one, roads have closed due to high water in other parts of Tillamook County, forcing drivers to turn around. Further, some residents reported flooded areas up to two feet deep.

North of Garibaldi, rocks also tumbled down onto Highway 101, briefly shutting it down Wednesday night.

As a result, transportation officials say crews are working to address several problem spots impacting drivers.

“High waters, areas where the ground beneath the road is kind of becoming really saturated, when that happens, you can get things like sunken grade pavements … debris on the road, and even landslides and rockfall in some areas,” said Mindy McCartt with the Oregon Department of Transportation.

ODOT says crews have been working through the night to clear rocks and debris, set signs and keep traffic moving where it’s safe.

The pounding rain shut down low-lying stretches of highway, creating ponds out of parking lots and pushing water over roadways.

“It only takes a few inches to make the driving really, really dangerous, or stall out vehicles,” McCartt added. “So if you see water covering the road, you should not drive through it. Stop, turn around and find an alternate route.”

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Wilson River near Tillamook, where minor swelling is already occurring and water levels are expected to climb close to 14 feet.

That could flood low-lying farm and dairy land, and even push water into parts of Tillamook’s business district near Highway 101 during high tide.

As the rain continues to fall, officials are urging drivers to check conditions before they go and give extra space between them and other drivers.

“In this amount of rain, high winds, debris, darkness, use headlights,” McCartt suggested. “If you’ve slowed down just five miles an hour, it gives you that much more time to be able to react to what is next.”

Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.

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