A combination of high winds and an "atmospheric river" delivering heavy rainfall is headed toward Northwest Oregon late Monday which is prompting warnings of potential power outages and minor flooding.

Salem residents can expect 1 to 3 inches of rain on Monday into Tuesday and strong wind gusts, said Laurel McCoy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.

A "big system" rolling in Monday night into Tuesday morning could mean heavy rainfall with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph in the Salem area, McCoy said.

A wind advisory issued for the Central Willamette Valley warns of wind gusts that could reach 50 mph — enough to blow over some Christmas decorations or even tree limbs and power lines.

The advisory is in effect from 4 p.m. Monday to noon on Tuesday and indicates winds will peak between midnight and 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The impact of the heavy rain prompted a flood watch for northwest Oregon indicating a high potential for flooding in low areas and sharp rises in area rivers and creeks.

Rainfall totals could climb as high as three to six inches in the Cascade and Coast Range mountains.

Salem residents can keep an eye on area creeks and streams by visiting the city's High Water Watch website.

Safety precautions for power outages

To ensure people are prepared for potential outages and flooding caused by the heavy rain and wind, Pacific Power issued a press release urging residents to take certain safety precautions.

“We work hard to prevent outages, but heavy rain and wind make it difficult to predict when and where an outage will happen,” David Lucas, vice president of operations at Pacific Power, said in the release.

Pacific Power officials suggest staying away from and not driving over downed power and utility lines, as well as being cautious of standing water and wet ground.

Those who find downed power lines should call 911 and Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088 to report the outage, according to the release.

Customers can report an outage to Pacific Power by texting "OUT" to 722797. If they are affected by an outage, customers can check the status by texting "STAT" to 722797.

During an outage, turning on porch lights can help crews check if power has been restored to the affected area after they have completed repairs.

Prepare for possible outages by keeping all mobile devices charged and creating an emergency outage kit with the following items:

Flashlight

Battery-operated radio and clock

Extra batteries

Non-perishable foods

Manual can opener

Bottled water

Blankets

Monitor the status of an outage at pacificpower.net/outage, which will be updated as information becomes available or at least every 15 minutes.

Abby Luschei a reporter for the Statesman Journal; she can be reached at aluschei@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6747. Follow her on Twitter @abbyluschei or facebook.com/luscheiabby.

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