Heads up for those commuters in Gales Creek who use Fern Hill Road: The flood gates have gone up due to flooding near Fernhill Wetlands.
As rain and high winds snarl traffic and close roads and highways, Fern Hill Road is just the latest road in the area to close.
Highway 6 was closed between Banks and Gales Creek Tuesday morning due to downed powerlines, and numerous Gales Creek residents faced power outages and interruptions. As of 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, more than 110,000 Portland General Electric customers remained without power, including numerous homes and busineses in the Gales Creek area. Trees were reported on social media to be down on Old Wilson River Road in Gales Creek, on Clapshaw Hill ROad, and elsewhere in the area.
The gates on Fern Hill Road were installed after years of drivers ignoring common sense and driving into floodwaters, which, at the area near the Fernhill Wetlands essentially becomes the Tualatin River when it floods. Forest Grove Fire & Rescue had to rescue people trapped in vehicles that stalled or were swept away by high water.
More information on county roads closed due to flooding and other emergencies can be found at wc-roads.com. Information for state highways can be found at tripcheck.com.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
