Dense Fog — Southern Willamette Valley, Oregon
2022-10-19 · Southern Willamette Valley, Oregon
1
Direct deaths
4
Injuries
$2.0M
Property damage
Event narrative
Dense fog developed early in the morning, with an inversion in place and enhanced by wildfire smoke in the area. Around 60 to 65 vehicles piled up on I-5 southbound, roughly 20 miles north of Eugene, near Harrisburg, in Linn County. At least one confirmed dead, and four others taken to the hospital. I-5 was closed for many hours. Six of the vehicles leaked fluids on the roadway triggering a HAZMAT response.
Wider weather episode
A large crash occurred, involving at least 65 vehicles with one fatality, due to dense fog.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1059705. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.