PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Monster waves and strong winds were forecast to batter much of Oregon on Tuesday, with stormy conditions continuing to grip the region as other parts of the nation were still reeling from a ferocious winter storm that has left dozens dead.
Thirty-foot waves are expected to break along the entire Oregon coast, the National Weather Service said, with wave heights possibly topping 40 feet on the north coast.
“In situations like this, we recommend that people stay off the beach entirely,” said Brian Nieuwenhuis, a meteorologist with the NWS Medford office. “I’d be very concerned about anybody going out on the beach and very concerned about any infrastructure located close to the surf zone.”
A high wind warning is also in effect for much of the coast, with gusts expected to reach 80 mph, according to the NWS. Wind gusts could hit 60 mph in the Portland metro area.
Strong winds downed power lines and felled trees, knocking out power for more than 100,000 customers as of late Tuesday morning, outage maps from utilities Pacific Power and Portland General Electric showed. Most of the outages were reported in the western half of the state.