NWS warns leaves could clog drains in Portland’s rain. Is the clog your gutter, your downspout or the street?

Portland, Ore. — Nov. 9, 2026. The National Weather Service office in Portland expects a fast-moving front to bring 0.25 to 0.5 inch of rain to the I‑5 corridor on Monday, heavy at times. Its 10:18 a.m. forecast discussion warned of ponding on roads and in low-lying areas, “especially where leaves remain on the ground and could clog drains.”

Leaves stop water at three different drains around a Portland house, and each has a different owner. The roof gutter and its downspouts are yours. So is any buried line a downspout drains into. The street catch basin belongs to the City, though the Portland Bureau of Transportation asks residents to help clear its surface. Which one is backing up tells you who fixes it.

The forecast

The week ahead, from a drain’s point of view

1. Mon., Nov. 9

   Rain, heavy at times

   0.25 to 0.5 inch along I‑5, tapering in the evening. NWS expects ponding where leaves block drains.

2. Tue., Nov. 10

   Lighter, mostly north

   Under 0.2 inch for the interior lowlands south of Longview; heavier rain in southwest Washington.

3. Wed., Nov. 11

   Dry and unusually warm

   Highs in the low to mid 60s. Portland’s record for the date, 64°F set in 1989, may be in jeopardy.

4. Thu., Nov. 12

   Mostly dry transition

   Still in the low 60s inland, with shower chances mainly along the coast.

5. Fri.–Sun., Nov. 13–15

   Possible atmospheric river

   Repeated fronts and widespread rain. NWS says specific details are still uncertain.

NWS also notes that soils are getting wetter with each system, so more rain runs off instead of soaking in, and at least isolated flooding can’t be ruled out this weekend. That is a forecast, not an event: check the latest discussion before you plan.

Three drains, three owners

Is it your gutter, your downspout or the street drain?

PBOT calls street storm drains catch basins, and its crews work to keep more than 58,000 of them clear. In its adopt-a-storm-drain guidance, the bureau says that when drains clog with leaves, water ponds along streets and intersections. On private property, though, the first drain to fail is usually higher up.

Each drain fails in its own way, so what you see during the rain points to the one that’s blocked:

The angle most coverage misses

Water by the house is rarely the City’s drain

Rain coverage tends to tell people to rake storm drains, and PBOT does want that help. But much of the water Portland homeowners notice in heavy rain never reaches the street. It spills over a clogged gutter, or backs up at the base of a downspout that drains into a buried line.

Two checks tell them apart. If water pools where a downspout enters the ground while the street drain is clear, the restriction is in your private line. If your downspouts flow freely but a clean gutter still spills over, the gutter is too small or out of pitch, and another cleaning won’t fix it.

• Watch from the ground or a window during the rain. A gutter that overflows at one spot usually has a clog at the nearest outlet.

• Rake curb inlets from the sidewalk only, with gloves and reflective clothing, and use a rake, shovel or broom, not your hands, as PBOT advises.

• Put leaves in your green compost bin or extra lawn bags. Outside your Leaf Day, don’t push them into the street.

• Report a drain that stays clogged at pdxreporter.org or 503‑823‑1700. Multnomah County asks people not to call 9‑1‑1 unless there is an immediate threat to life or safety.

Hiring it out

When a clog is a cleaning job, and when it isn’t

Gutter and downspout clogs are cleaning work: every run cleared by hand and each downspout flushed until it drains, which is what a Portland gutter cleaning should include. A buried line that won’t take water after the downspout is clear needs a drain contractor with a camera. A gutter that overflows when it’s clean needs gutter repair or a larger gutter.

All Season’s gutter cleaning starts at $295; most single-story Portland homes run $295–$475 and most two-story homes $365–$675. You can price your address with the free virtual estimate. For where a Portland downspout is allowed to drain, see our downspout repair and cleaning page.