Authorities in Northwest Oregon ordered the evacuation of several thousand people in a flood-ravaged county just south of Portland. Officials with Clackamas County issued the Level 3 (Go Now!) evacuation notice as a major river in the region spilled its banks.

A Level 3 evacuation notice is the highest and most urgent level used by many U.S. emergency management agencies.

The Clackamas River — only a few miles south of Portland — rose by nearly 12 feet in Estacada, Oregon, in under 16 hours Thursday afternoon into the early morning hours of Friday. The river level soared from minor to major flood stage in less than five hours.

"They realized this morning when they woke, started to get it up, that there was water around their tents, and one of their tents floated away," firefighter Dallas Oja told Portland's KATU-TV.

"There is extreme danger in your area and you should evacuate now," evacuation notices for areas along the Clackamas River warned. "Leave immediately, it is unsafe for you to stay in the area. Your life could be in great danger. Do not stop to gather your belongings or protect your home. Follow your emergency plan. Leave as fast and as safely as possible."

A KATU-TV reporter witnessed three people who were living under an overpass being rescued from floodwaters in Canby. The flooding in Oregon is the result of several atmospheric river-fueled storms that have slammed the Pacific Northwest over the past several days.

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A flood watch will remain in effect for Portland and the surrounding suburbs through Saturday afternoon. "Flood potential remains high today even though much less rain is forecast," the Portland National Weather Service Office cautions. "Many area rivers and streams are rising this morning, and slow-responding rivers could see rises into Saturday afternoon. With the saturated soils and high rivers and creeks, any additional rain will slow receding of the water and continue the potential for flooding."

Nearly 8 million people across portions of California, Oregon, and Washington remained under a flood watch on Friday. The heaviest rain is now expected to slip southward from Washington and Oregon with a series of atmospheric rivers targeting northern California through at least Tuesday.

Over 6 million people in Northern California face a marginal risk — level 1 out of 4 — of excessive rainfall capable of producing flash flooding today, the Weather Prediction Center reported. 

By the end of the weekend, the number of people at risk more than doubles. The WPC excessive rainfall outlook for Sunday places more than 14 million people at a marginal-to-slight risk of flash flooding, level 1 and 2 out of 4, respectively.

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"Atmospheric rivers are ribbons of moisture carried by strong winds in the lower atmosphere," the nonprofit Climate Central explained. Scientists say our overheating planet is supercharging atmospheric rivers, raising the risk of extreme weather events. 

"Climate change can create conditions that make extremes more likely or more intense," researchers with Climate Central added. "More moisture in warmer air can boost total atmospheric river precipitation. Research suggests that this thermodynamic relationship could drive future increases in total precipitation during atmospheric river storms in California." 

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