PORTLAND, Ore. (CURRENCY) — A community is in recovery mode after a massive landslide displaced residents and hit several houses on Friday morning.
The landslide occurred on OR 229, near mile marker 14, about midway between the towns of Siletz and Kernville.
“There’s a giant chunk of that mountain gone,” said Mindy McCartt, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Transportation. “It’s one of the biggest slides that ODOT has seen, probably in our history.”
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McCartt told KOIN 6 News on Saturday that the road still has a hard closure and that the cleanup process has not yet begun. However, transport officials are meeting on Monday to formulate a plan moving forward.
There is still no firm estimate on when the road might reopen, although officials said Friday it could take months or even longer.
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A landslide occurred near the Siletz River, taking out a section of OR 229 and impacting nearby houses. December 12, 2025 (courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation).
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A landslide occurred near the Siletz River, which took out a section of OR 229 and had an impact on nearby houses. December 12, 2025 (courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation).
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A landslide occurred near the Siletz River, taking out a section of OR 229 and impacting nearby houses. December 12, 2025 (courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation).
Debris from the avalanche, including fallen trees and structures, fell into the Siletz River. Downstream, a neighbor told KOIN 6 News on Friday night that she saw everything from refrigerators to propane tanks floating in the river.
“It’s pure devastation,” said Jenny Nelson, who lives in Lincoln County. “I think it’s going to be a very long road to recovery there.”
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Since then two people have obtained temporary shelter from the Red Cross. A total of five houses were hit, with three of the houses heavily damaged. All the residents of the houses were evacuated safely.
The officers said that no one was hurt and that everyone was accounted for.
Landslide was avoided, geology expert says
Scott Burns, a professor of geology at Portland State University, told KOIN 6 News that this landslide was preventable and the cost to the state was high.
“Our highway department has graded all the hills in Oregon, which are the ones that are the highest priority,” he said. “Then when the money is available, they spend the money on the most high-priority ones that they’ve got. This is a high-priority one. But it wasn’t at the top of the list. And so it wasn’t given any attention. It’s a road not traveled much. And so it’s a little lower priority.”
The fire suggested that preventing these landslides would require a wall surrounding the highway and planting trees in areas that have been cut. He added that the area around the ground seed is vulnerable and will continue to yellow.
ODOT said the landslide originated on land owned by the Weyerhaeuser Company. On Friday, the company told KOIN 6 News in a statement that they are working with ODOT and local law enforcement agencies to safely evacuate its employees and assess the damage.
Transportation officials said to avoid OR 229 and travel on US 101 instead.
ODOT’s TripCheck has more information regarding road closures and available routes.
KOIN 6 reached out to the local school district to see if bus routes will be changed or if alternative learning is available for students cut off by the landslide. This story will be updated if we hear back.
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