RV park partially evacuated in Tillamook County amid heavy rain

Author: Anthony Macuk (KGW)

NESKOWIN, Ore. (KGW) — The U.S. Coast Guard and the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office worked to evacuate 20 people from the Neskowin Creek RV Resort in Tillamook County on Friday morning due to a failing access road amid ongoing heavy rain.

The park is located off of U.S. Route 101 about 13 miles north of Lincoln City. It’s separated from the highway by the Neskowin Creek, and the bridge that carries the sole access road is failing, according to Undersheriff Matt Kelly.

“There’s high water throughout the park, but there’s a very small bridge that crosses a creek into the park, and that bridge seems to be failing also, so we are evacuating all the residents and then moving them to an elementary school,” he said.

Officials learned about the bridge failure when the fire department arrived at the scene just before 7 a.m., Kelly said, and requested assistance from the Coast Guard. Marine deputies are helping with the evacuation using boats, he said.

The Coast Guard dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from North Bend, according to Petty Officer Michael Clark, and deployed a rescue swimmer at the scene to act as an evacuation coordinator. Residents are being brought to Neskowin Valley School

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Warrenton is also assisting in the evacuation efforts, according to a Coast Guard press release. There were no reported injuries, according to a tweet from the Coast Guard just after 10 a.m. Friday.

The Coast Guard concluded its efforts after evacuating a total of 12 people and three dogs, according to a tweet posted at about 1:30 p.m., and other agencies rescued another eight people.

The park has a total population of about 50 people, about 30 of whom elected to remain in the park, the Coast Guard said.

Northwest Oregon was hit by a deluge of rain on Thursday night and continuing into Friday morning, the second of two rounds of heavy rain this week, snarling traffic and prompting reports of landslides and fallen trees.

Lincoln County has been dealing with major flooding, according to social media posts from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on Friday, reporting flooded roadways and a landslide.

The office also posted a photo showing a privately-owned fire truck partially submerged in floodwater in Otis, a town at the north end of the county about 6 miles away from the Neskowin RV park.

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