PORTLAND - A mostly dry day on Monday was expected to provide relief to areas hit by flooding, but another rain storm arriving late Monday threatened to cause even more landslides and possible flooding, according to KGW Meteorologist Dave Salesky.

Snow showers Sunday evening left an inch or more of snow on the ground around the Metro area but warmer air turned the showers into rain overnight, washing away most of the accumulation.

No flood watches or warnings were issued by the National Weather Service Monday morning for area rivers and streams, but officials were keeping an eye on levels. Salesky said more landslides could also be a continued problem throughout the region.

"A strong storm will arrive Tuesday. That storm will be windy and rainy from the coast to the Cascades with rainfall amounts reaching 1.5 to 3 inches," Salesky said. "Drier weather should make a brief return by Friday."

Break from rain aids crews

Across the region, emergency crews used the weekend weather break to assess flood damage and begin the clean up. State transportation crews reopened all lanes of Highway 26 late Sunday. The main route between Portland and Mt. Hood had been closed since late Thursday due to a landslide.

The alternate route from Hood River on Highway 35 proved treacherous due to icy conditions. A head-on collision and heavy traffic resulted in long delays on the highway Saturday. Friday evening, three women died in a head-on collision near Parkdale.

Meanwhile, a State of Emergency was in effect for hard-hit Clackamas County. Hundreds were cut off from power, water and roads in Estacada due to flooding. Sandbags were piled high across Clackamas County as residents hoped for a break from Mother Nature on Monday.

Carpets at the Estacada library were pulled out because of water damage from the flooding and volunteers helped stack sandbags around the building to prevent more damage. People also helped place sandbags around homes in the area and cleared clogged culverts that overflowed on New Year's Day.

"We have four families here, we're calling this our island because the creeks above us and below are running over the road and we're fairly stuck," Mary Sutton, a homeowner, told KGW.

Heavy rains cause chaos

The combination of snow melt and heavy rain caused widespread flooding across the state. The northwest was pounded by more than 24 hours of nonstop rain Thursday and Friday. Dozens of major roadways were closed or submerged in running water at the height of the flooding, with mudslides reported from the coast to the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood.

The city of Portland received about 3.05 inches of rain in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday, shattering a 25-year-old record for rainfall, meteorologists said.

Johnson Creek crested just a half-foot below the record floods of February 1996.

A major concern for the Portland was bacteria in the flood water. City officials urged residents to avoid contact with the flood water if at all possible.

The Oregon Coast accumulated more than twice as much rain as the Metro area, with some areas receiving as much as 7.5 inches of rain. Vancouver saw about 2.77 inches.

Rain was expected to resume late in the weekend, with showers in the forecast for much of the next week.

5 injured by Lake Oswego slide

Five people were injured when a wall of mud and debris hit a house in Lake Oswego Friday moring. Mud and debris flowed downhill, across a road and then slammed into the home, trapping a family inside. They eventually managed to scramble out a window.

Another slide broke loose near Portland's famed Rose Garden. And in the Eagle Creek area, residents said about 200 homes were blocked by a mud slide on Heiple Road.

Outside of the Metro area, a large mud slide blocked Highway 26 at Brightwood. Motorists were advised to use Highway 35 to access Mt. Hood over the weekend but were cautioned to expect delays due to an increased volume of vehicles and snow and icy conditions in the area on Saturday.

Another slide moved across a section of Highway 101 near Cloverdale.

Along Kellog Creek, the water overflowed its banks and flooded about 30 homes. Angie Bemis said she suddenly had more than a foot of water inside her home.

"It was like a river coming in to my place and it was definitely like a river outside my place," she said. "I was very shaky and scared; I've never been through anything like this before."

In Portland, several roads had sections closed off due to high water and sandbags were made available for residents who needed them. By Saturday afternoon, all Portland area roads affected by high water had been re-opened.

In Sandy, buildings at an industrial park were damaged by floodwaters. The city closed a water main, leaving some without water service. Damage to an optic fiber line caused phone and cell phone outages. The city's 911 service was out for a time, but restored on a limited basis.

Clackamas County declares emergency
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners declared a state of emergency as a result of heavy rains and snow melt causing flooding and landslides. They specifically requested resources to protect buildings from high waters as well as equipment to help move supplies to needed areas and remove debris from roads and streets.

At the peak of the flooding, there were approximately 60 roads closed.

In addition, about 30 families and their pets were evacuated from the Carver Road Mobile Home Ranch to a shelter at Damascus Community Christian Church.

In the Columbia River Gorge, ODOT activated a debris flow warning system for Interstate 84 through the Columbia Gorge and also for Oregon Hwy 6. A landslide blocked a portion of the scenic highway near Vista House.

Coastal flooding
The National Weather Service said the storm brought high winds and seas to the Oregon coast; gusts measured up to 60 mph Thursday and waves cresting at about 25 feet.

ODOT said waters reaching 16 inches high closed Oregon 22 about four miles west of the junction with Oregon 18. High water also closed U.S. 101 between Seaside and U.S. 101's junction with U.S. 26.

Authorities opened a shelter at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds and warned residents and businesses in flood areas to evacuate.

Vernonia
In Vernonia, where some victims of the December 2007 floods were still living in federally-distributed trailers, city officials were alerting people where shelters could be found, if necessary.

"Anytime there's a flood warning that comes out, everybody gets a little nervous," Police Chief Michael Kay said. "Our main is goal was to be as prepared as possible, so if it did start to flood we could immediately start helping our residents."

Central Oregon
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office got scores of calls because of wind damage. Scott Jordan, who lives east of Bend, told KTVZ-TV he saw a "twisting, dust-devil looking cloud" take down four of his big trees.

"I hit the deck until it passed over me," he said.

Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort shut down Thursday afternoon because of a power outage. The lifts could have run on backup power, but electricity was spotty in the lodges. "Without steady power in the lodges it was a better call sending people home to watch football," said an announcement on its Web site.