November 12, 1997 near
Silverton in Marion County
The third tornado of the day in northwest Oregon!
It was smaller then the other two but it ripped through
a 700 square foot barn causing significant damage.
This photo
of the tornado was taken from a moving
Amtrak train.
January 1996, near Lincoln
City in Lincoln County
An apparent tornado struck the coast near Lincoln
City. There were no eyewitnesses, since this occurred
at night, but the damage which resulted makes it evident
that a tornado did occur. An intense electrical storm,
one of the strongest in recent years, occurred late
one January night. Thunder, lightning, and high winds
lasted for several hours. The next day, several damage
reports were received by the Lincoln City police.
In the parking lot of a manufactured home facility,
a trailer was lifted completely off the ground and
dropped on the trailer adjacent to it. Several windows
were shattered, with glass exploding outward as if
the result of extremely low outside pressure. Near
the ocean, a number of fish were apparently pulled
from the ocean and dropped onto a parking lot. Based
on the nature of the reports, it appears that a tornado
passed through Lincoln City that night.
July 9, 1995, near Hermiston
in Umatilla County
Workers at the Simplot Plant southeast of Hermiston
spotted a tornado that touched down for about two
minutes in a nearby wheat field causing no damage.
From Oregon Climate Service
Report.
May 11, 1995, near Baker
City in Baker County
A very small tornado touched down briefly near the
Sheriff's office in downtown Baker City. was no damage
or injuries reported. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
March 11 1995, near Happy
Valley in Harney County
A small tornado was sighted in east-central Harney
County. The area is very sparsely populated and no
other information was available. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
March 22, 1994, near Albany
in Linn County
A small tornado touched down near a shopping area
in Albany. It blew out a stor window and damaged some
merchandise inside but overall damage was very limited.
From Oregon Climate Service
Report.
February 13, 1994, near
Warrenton in Clatsop County
A weak tornado touched down briefly at Kamper's West
Park near Warrenton. It lifted 20 wooden picnic tables
40 feet into the air and deposited them 200 yards
away. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
December 8, 1993, near
Newberg in Washington County
This F2 tornado was the most powerful tornado in Oregon
in many years. It started as a cold front that came
with a deep surface low along the coast that moved
across the Willamette Valley. Six veal calves were
killed, a dairy farm was damaged roofs were blown
off some small buildings, and many trees were broken.
People reported that the funnel was sucking water
from the Willamette River as it moved northeast. There,
it greatly damaged a mobile home park. A tree at least
2 feet in diameter was snapped off six feet above
the ground and hit a two story house. Remarkably,
no one was injured. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
July 16, 1993 near Madras
in Jefferson County
A weak tornado touched down north of Madras. It traveled
about a half mile, knocking over several trees before
retreating back into the cloud. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
July 22, 1992 near Hells
Canyon Dam
This tornado touched down near Hells Canyon Dam. A
family trying to escape the storm got into their car.
The twister apparently went right over their car,
blowing out the passenger windows, lifting it 2 or
3 feet and pummeling it with debris. The car was totaled
but there were no injuries. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
November 12, 1991 near
Tualatin in Washington County
The second tornado of the day in Oregon touched down
near an office district in Tualatin. It lifted two
dumpsters and threw them into a parked van and sucked
open an office door, ripping out the ceiling tiles.
From Oregon Climate Service
Report.
November 12, 1991 near
Troutdale in Multnomah County
This tornado caused significant damage to eighty feet
of fencing as it touched down near Troutdale. It also
tore off part of a roof and ripped out the wall of
a steel building. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
May 1, 1991 near Pendleton
in Umatilla County
This small tornado touched down in wheat fields near
Pendleton causing little if any damage. It was visible
from the National Weather Service forecast office
in Pendleton. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
April 9, 1991, near Gresham
in Multnomah County
Very small, weak tornado touched down near Gresham.
Very slight damage. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
May 23, 1990, near Albany
in Linn County
A cold spring low pressure center moved east through
Oregon during the day producing unstable weather over
a large area. Between 1230 and 1400 PDT at least three
funnel clouds were sited in Linn County near Albany.
No one could confirm that any touched the ground.
An eyewitness video-taped one particular funnel cloud
that remained just below the cloud base for nearly
five minutes.
November 24, 1989, near
Eugene in Lane County
The tornado touched down in the south hills of Eugene.
It caused telephone pulls to break in half. It also
uprooted several tall fir trees which fell on two
houses and a camper causing significant damage but
no injuries. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
August 22, 1989, near Bend
in Deschutes County
This tornado touched down about 5 miles east of Bend.
Two shed roofs were blown off parts off which were
never found. The tornado also uprooted juniper trees
and embedded broken window glass into a chest of draws
in a house. Witnesses saw large metal roof pieces
being rotated up into the sky. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
June 29, 1989, near La
Center in Clark County, Washington
A tornado touched down during the afternoon of the
29th of June, moving through northern Clark County.
Following is a damage survey report.
3300 NW 289th St:
Part of a maple tree was blown down. Wind direction
was estimated at 200 degrees, or South, based on how
the tree was lying on the ground. To the south-southwest
of the tree is an open field. On the far side of the
field there was no visible damage. Just across the
street to the north of the damaged tree a 10 feet
square section of a barn roof had all cedar shakes
blown off. A resident in a nearby home recalled that
it rained quite hard before the wind hit. She went
outside right after the hardest wind hit to retrieve
a patio table and umbrella. While outside, she noticed
the sky was dark, reminding her of tornado weather
(she grew up in Oklahoma), but saw no rotating clouds.
All damage appears to be straight line winds.
29502 NW 31st Ave:
A wagon was blown on its side by a strong west wind.
Three small fir trees, about 20 feet tall, were blown
over with roots exposed. Fiberglass panels, each about
26 inches by 10 feet, were blown from near the fir
trees to an orchard about 100 feet away, with some
panels bent around trees. One panel was carried about
3/8ths mile down the road. Several large pear trees
were heavily damaged with many large limbs broken.
Heavy rain came just prior to the strong winds, then
tapered off once the wind abated.
29711 NW 31st St:
A person saw clouds at a low level heading to the
northeast. One foot square foam panels were blown
due west while the wind across the street appeared
to be blowing due north. He watched the clouds come
together and begin rotating above 29502 NW 31st Ave.
November 2, 1984, near
Waldport in Lincoln County
Tornado-like winds tore the roof off the Bayshore
Inn Motel in Waldport around 4:45 pm. There were no
injuries, but the hotel suffered $250,000 in damage.
Wind apparently moved automobiles and campers in the
parking lot. Several witnesses reported a funnel as
well as swirling debris. The storm was accompanied
by "finger-sized" hail. The hotel is on the north
side of Alsea Bay on a sand spit and is well exposed.
October 26, 1984, near
Champoeg Park in Marion County
A small tornado touched down 1.5 miles southeast of
Champoeg Park, or two miles northwest of Donald. A
workshop/garage that faced wwest was totally destroyed.
Two large cement foundations approximately two square
feet in area were torn from the ground. An entire
roof and sides of a structure were deposited in a
field just to the east. Large trees were sheared off
near the structure and three large fir trees were
uprooted 0.75 mile east of where the tornado touched
down. The tornado was accompanied by pea-sized hail
and frequent lightning. Apparently lightning struck
and killed a field worker south of Canby.
May 14th, 1984, near Junction
City in Lane County
This small tornado touched down at the location of
the Eugene Livestock Auction, damaging a barn and
shelter. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
April 18th, 1984, near
Woodland Heights in Yamhill County
This small tornado touched down about 8.5 miles south
of McMinnville. It lasted only briefly but tore the
roof off a large barn. Witnesses saw debris being
drawn up into the cloud in a circular pattern. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
June 22, 1983, near Bend
in Deschutes County
A small tornado touched down a few miles southeast
of Bend for a brief time. It crossed open range country
causing only slight damage. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
June 21, 1983, near La
Grande in Baker County
A short lived tornado touched down near the LaGrande
area. It caused only slight damage most likely to
fields and timber. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
March 22, 1983, near Brookings
in Curry County
A small tornado touched down southeast of Brookings
near the California-Oregon border causing some minor
damage. The twister was only on the ground for a few
yards but was up to 15 yards wide. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
August 20, 1979, near Sandy
in Clackamas County
The tornado's path was over two miles long. An observer
to the storm, Robert Lee, (Oregonian, August
22, 1979) described it as "a black roll cloud like
a vertical cliff approaching, spitting lightning in
a brilliant barrage...." It rained so hard that he
could not see "four feet in front." Harold Butler,
Sandy, stated that he saw a funnel snake down out
of the cloud touching the ground here and there. Damage
included that to a house under construction, which
was flattened, and to others that were hit by falling
trees. A storage building full of machinery was blown
apart. Power service through the Sandy area was temporarily
knocked out. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
May 23, 1979, near Klamath
Falls in Klamath County
Several funnel clouds were observed in the area. Some
of them touched down as tornadoes briefly. No damage
or injuries were reported. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
August 20, 1978, near Amity
in Yamhill County
Another apparent tornado struck the Amity area only
a couple of hours after the Scappose tornado. It caused
small amounts of damage and was determined to be a
tornado only after later visits and inspection of
the area. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
August 20, 1978, near Scappoose
in Columbia County
This apparent tornado caused moderate damage when
it struck a mobile home, and scattered pieces for
0.25 mile. However, no injuries or deaths occurred
in the area. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
August 16, 1978, near Gresham
in Multnomah County
A small tornado touched down near Gresham causing
some damage to buildings and crops. It was on the
ground only briefly. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
December 12, 1975, near
Tillamook in Tillamook County
This was a moderate tornado which caused considerable
damage to the Tillamook area. The twister touched
down near Tillamook and traveled along the ground
for up to 2 miles. It passed very near KTIL radio
station which recorded 90 mph winds as it passed.
From Oregon Climate Service
Report.
September 16, 1975, near
Baker City in Baker County
This very small tornado only briefly touched down
in an open field near Baker causing no damage. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
August 18, 1975, near Eugene
in Lane County
This tornado occurred near Eugene but was not well
documented. It apparently destroyed a metal building
but caused no injuries. The amount of damage caused
is unknown. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
April 23, 1974, near Nyssa
in Malheur County
The tornado traveled along the Oregon-Idaho border,
demolishing a large farm building and the machinery
in it. It also lifted another small building completely
off the ground. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
September 21, 1973, 50
miles northeast of Lakeview in Lake County
This small tornado was observed from about 10 miles
away as it crossed open, uninhabited country. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
December 13, 1973, near
Newport in Lincoln County
This apparent tornado ripped through Newport in the
evening with the passage of a squall line. It tore
off the roof of a real estate building, several windows
blown out, two other roofs damaged and a garage moved
off its foundation. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
April 5, 1972, (F3 tornado)
Portland Oregon and Vancouver Washington
A very turbulent squall line moved northeast across
Portland, causing scattered wind damage, broken tree
limbs, and even uprooting some trees. Track of the
strongest storm cell in the squall line was first
indicated at Tigard where straight line winds unroofed
a lumber warehouse at 12965 SW Pacific Highway, and
its debris damaged five vehicles parked in a neighboring
service station. High winds were experienced across
the West Hills of Portland and tree limbs littered
Hamilton Park. Passage of the storm cells across Portland
caused a 0.12 inch pressure jump as recorded by the
NWS Climatology Office in the Multnomah Building in
downtown Portland. Straight line winds toppled several
trees at the south edge of the Riverside Country Club
just 1.4 miles southwest of the Columbia River's south
bank.
The Portland/Vancouver tornado that developed from
this storm fist touched down at the south edge of
the Columbia River damaging four pleasure boat moorages
in the 3300 to 3400 blocks of NE Marine Drive. About
50 cabin cruisers were either damaged or blown about
by the wind as it damaged a dry dock, boat houses
and dock shelters. The funnel was not observed locally
because it was obscured by mud and flying debris.
It was described as a clack mass, and several persons
reported seeing water being drawn up into the cloud
as the tornado moved one-half mile before crossing
the Oregon-Washington state line in the middle of
the Columbia River and continuing on to the Washington
shore. Observers were unable to see across the Columbia
River because of the water vapor.
The tornado continued its nine-mile total damage path
across the east side of Vancouver to the Brush Prairie
area. Six persons lost their lives while 300 persons
were injured. The tornado caused five to six million
dollars in property damage in Washington alone. The
tornado was the most devastating tornado in Oregon's
recorded weather history, dating back to 1871.
Additional wind damage in the Portland area included
fallen trees on two homes in Lake Oswego, trees blocking
sections of NE Glisan and Flanders and smashing two
automobiles, and damaged telephone and power lines.
Portland National Weather Service Office on 5421 NE
Marine Drive (about 1 mile east of the tornado touchdown)
recorded a sustained wind of 48 miles per hour from
the south at 12:53 pm and gusts of 63 mph from the
south at 12:52 pm. Here are more wind reports from
the Portland area:
Wind Reports from the
April 5 1972 Thunderstorm
Location
Wind Speed
Portland, Morrison Bridge
South wind 48 mph, recorded
at 1244 pm
710 SW Viewpoint Drive (Vancouver)
South wind 50 mph
Mt Scott (east Portland)
South wind 82 mph
2900 NE Marine Drive (Portland)
Estimated West wind 40 to 60
mph
3417 NE Marine Drive (Portland)
South wind 40 to 50 mph before
the storm hit, then South wind hit 120 mph before
measuring equipment was damaged
3737 NE Marine Drive (Portland)
Southeast wind 80 mph
May 25, 1971, near McMinnville
in Yamhill County
At around 4 pm, a small slow moving tornado touched
down briefly at a rural home along Booth Bend Road
aobut 1.8 miles south-southeast of the McMinnville
Post Office. The funnel aloft was watched by many
persons as it hung about half way to the ground and
slowly moved east-southeast. It seemed to almost retreat
into the 5000-foot cloud base before dipping to the
ground where it unroofed a barn and damaged a home.
Local residents watched the whirling debris in the
funnel as it touched the ground several more times
while moving across 0.4 mile across a grassy pasture.
The tornado then lifted aloft with some of the debris
knocking upper limbs from tall fir trees about a mile
away from where it first touched down. The farm house
was saved from greater damage when a garbage can was
blown through the kitchen window. This helped equalize
the inside-outside pressure, but the tornado still
sucked a section of weaker ceiling tile from the dining
room and swirled insulation throughout the home.
May 11, 1970, near Warm
Springs in Wasco County
At around 2:15 pm a small tornado was sighted by a
Weather Bureau employee and two Forest Service employee
as it touched down just east of US Highway 26 about
9 1/2 miles northwest of Warm Springs. The funnel
was watched from three miles away as it lowered from
a dark ragged thunderstorm base. The group was the
tornado pick up dust for about two minutes as it moved
northeastward across open sagebrush land before withdrawing
into the cloud base. No damage was reported.
October 13, 1968, near
Newberg in Washington County
At around 1 pm, a funnel cloud was observed to briefly
touch the ground. No damage was reported.
October 13, 1968, near
20 miles west of Portland
A funnel cloud briefly touched the ground. No damage
is known to have occurred. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
June 11, 1968, 30 miles
north of Enterprise in Wallowa County
This storm struck in very mountainous, unihabited
timbered area. Very few persons witnessed the tornado,
and those persons were in poor position to actually
observed the tornado. Determination as a tornado is
based largely on width of the path and appearance
of wreckage it caused. Approximately 1800 acres of
prime timber were destroyed, with an additional 1200
acres badly damaged. An estimated 40 million board
feet of lumber were blown down. The storm lasted no
more than 5 minutes at any observed point and was
accompanied briefly by golfball-sized hail. The storm
occurred around 4 pm and had a ground path of about
eight to ten miles.
October 3, 1967, near Astoria
in Clatsop County
A waterspout moved inland from the Pacific Ocean for
about 0.5 mile before dissipating. Several homes,
a few other buildings, and a considerable quantity
of ornamental trees and shrubs were damaged. This
was the first true tornado to ever be officially observed
in this area.
June 21, 1967, 13 miles
west of Sheaville in Malheur County
During the afternoon, a funnel aloft was observed
by several employees of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries
and Wildlife working at Upper Cow Creek Lake, located
13 miles west-southwest of Sheaville. The funnel was
first sighted one mile southwest of the lake and moved
to the northeast. The lower end of the funnel swung
in all directions and even lowered to the ground as
a tornado for about 30 seconds and traveled on the
ground for about one-half mile. Considerable sagebrush
was carried aloft before the tornado raised from the
ground. It was visible for about twenty minutes as
it covered an eight-mile path before disappearing
back into the cloud base. Considerable hail covered
the ground during the storm's passage. Many hailstones
were 0.75 inch in diameter and larger.
October 20, 1966, near
Seaside in Clatsop County
At around 3:30 pm, a very small tornado moved through
about one block of the city. A few store windows were
smashed, several power and telephone lines were downed,
and outdoor signs were demolished. Most damage to
buildings was light.
August 25, 1966, near Adrian
in Malheur County
At around 5:10 pm, a small tornado touched ground
at a number of points along a very narrow path, extending
from slightly west of Adrian, a farming area west
of Ontario, to the Oregon/Idaho border just north
of Ontario. It remained slightly west of the heavily
populated areas of Nyssa and Ontario. A number of
trees and utility poles were twisted and broken. Several
farm buildings were either damaged or destroyed. Power
and telephone service was disrupted for several hours
over a wide area. Several hay, seed crops, and hops
fields were destroyed. The tornado had a path length
of about 12 miles and a path width of nearly 100 yards.
November 11, 1965, near
Rainier in Columbia County
At around 3 pm, a very small tornado began at Rainier
on the south bank of the Columbia River near Longview,
Washington. It moved across the river into Washington,
producing a small waterspout over the river. Two buildings
were destroyed, but property losses were not serious.
The tornado path was about one-half mile long and
was 15 to 20 yard wide.
June 23, 1966, near Forest
Grove in Washington County
A small, short-lived tornado moved from the southwest
to northwest through a corn field and a prune orchard,
uprooting 20 to 25 prune trees. The tornado occurred
during the late afternoon, and had a path length of
one-fourth mile and was 60 yards in width at the widest
point. There was no other significant damage reported
with the tornado. Heavy rain occurred at the same
time, but no hail or lightning was reported.
May 19, 1962, near Klamath
Falls in Klamath County
A very small tornado, but confirmed by authorities,
moved across the small farming area about 10 miles
south of Klamath Falls around noon. One hay barn was
destroyed and slight damage occurred to farm implements
and equipment that was hurled about in the strong
winds. The tornado path was about one-half mile in
length and about 20 yards in width. There were no
fatalities.
March 8, 1960, near Almsville
in Marion County
A small, but fairly violent tornado skipped over a
path of 1 mile long, but was never more than a few
yard in width. The tornado damaged several small farm
buildings and removed roofs off two homes and a chimney
off another home. The tornado moved to just outside
of the main part of town, grazing the school grounds,
but causing no major damage to the school or town.
April 12, 1957, around
noon, Tornadoes on both sides of Cascades
near Sandy in Multnomah
County
A very black storm cloud which produced hailstones
of 0.25 to 0.50 inch in diameter moved across the
city of Sandy and the surrounding area, about 25 miles
southeast of Portland, shortly before noon. In the
rural areas just a short distance east of Sandy, a
small tornado approximately 35 to 50 yards in diameter
struck, twisting large fir trees 18 to 36 inches in
diameter off about 30 to 40 feet above the ground.
The tornado also carried one large barn in construction
several hundred feet before destroying it. The tornado
also damaged several other farm buildings and tore
roofs off many homes. The path of the tornado along
the ground was 2 to 3 miles in length. Several homes
suffered broken windows from the hail.
near Ione and Lexington
in Gilliam and Morrow Counties
In the initial stages a long thin rope-like funnel
was observed descending from a heavy cumulonimbus
cloud over southeastern Gilliam County nearly due
west of Ione. This moved rapidly eastward into Morrow
county, and finally dissipated near Lexington in south
central Morrow county. Its path varied from less than
100 yards to nearly 0.25 mile in width, with an overall
length of 15 to 20 miles. The tornado crossed over
open range and caused little damage. One telephone
pole was pulled out of the ground and large quantities
of dust and sagebrush were carried aloft. While hail
was generally less than one-half inch in diameter,
a few hailstones of over one inch in diameter was
reported near Heppner. Fortunately, the hail fell
in rangeland and little damage resulted.
January 20, 1953, Corvallis
in Benton County
A "miniature tornado" struck Corvallis January 20,
1953. The twister, which suddenly appeared out of
dark clouds at 8 a.m., struck the downtown area. During
its brief presence, it "exploded" one building, passed
close to the Roosevelt school, then crossed the Willamette
River before disappearing. Accompanying the tornado
were rain and hail which fell in sheets, causing more
damage to businesses than did the twister. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
The following was found in a local newspaper, the
Gazette Times about the Corvallis Tornado
(submitted by NWS Skywarn™ Spotter): ROOFS, WINDOWS GO; BRIEF WIND STRIKES AT OVER 100
MPH
A twister accompanied by a drenching downpour dipped
into Corvallis at 8:01 a.m. today and left in its
wake damage by wind and flood estimated up to $500,000
by Fire Chief Percy Tallman. Apparently there were
no injuries Roofs were ripped from buildings and flung
a block away. Power lines were torn out and left dangling
in a confused mess. Trees were uprooted. Windows smashed.
A little black dog was picked up and carried a block
about a foot off the ground. When he landed again,
he started running and was still running when last
seen.
Miraculously, no one was hurt. Some sections of the
town were without power most of the day. for the fist
time in years, the Gazette-Times was hours behind
in its publication. The twister first struck about
20th & Philomath road in vacant Avery tract, where
it broke down a large tree. Cars were forced off the
road and collisions were narrowly avoided. The wind,
which had speeds up to 100 miles an hour by best estimates,
struck the offices of Cornell, Howland, Hayes and
Merryfield on Western avenue, tore loose the carport
and slammed it clear over the office of Dr. T.R. Assum
and into the Roosevelt school yard. A telephone pole
was toppled and power lines snapped. The Roosevelt
school yard heavy wire fence was flattened.
The twister then moved down Western avenue in about
a 100 yard swath. ripping shingles and other forms
of roofing from buildings, knocking in plate glass
windows. It appeared to have bounced accrossed the
city, striking about a block apart. It hit on 3rd,
caving in a plateglass window in the news room of
the Gazette-Times, and ripped the roof from Carlson's
furnishings and knocking over a weighing scale. Second
street merchants probably suffered more damage than
any other section. Signs were torn down. A roof from
the Scott Cleaners was lifted off and sent skimming
across the street, striking the buildings on the east
side and smacking into a huge transformer, blacking
out the downtown section. A huge section of the Kline
building roof from Carlson's furnishings and knocking
over a weighing scale. Debris was splattered up and
down Second street between Jefferson and Monroe. Cornices
of some of the older buildings were toppled into the
street and street lights were torn loose. The large
roof atop the Montgomery Ward building was lifted
up and settled back. The wind then blew itself out
as it crossed the river.
It was the first twister to ever hit Corvallis, according
to long-time residents of the area. While the winds
reached a speed estimated at 100 miles an hour, Oregon
State college physics instructors pointed out that
the damage of twisters is generally caused by the
vacuum created by the winds. Only the hour, when few
businesses were yet open, prevented any injury by
flying debris. There are photographs of some of the
damage, but they really don't show any of the buildings
most heavily damaged.
The next day's edition sticks by the $500,000 estimate,
noting that the heavy rains accompaning the tornado
damaged the interior of many homes that were partially
unroofed. Much, if not most of the damage is definitely
F0-F1, but there is some evidence in the narrative
to suggest at least one suction vortice capable of
F2 damage. One downtown building that lost its roof
sustained $30,000 in damage, a substantial amount
by the $ of that day.
June 25, 1951, near Seneca
in Umatilla County
The Burns Times-Harold, in its June 27, 1952 edition,
reported that two days earlier a "twister" struck
in spots along a twenty mile path in the Logan Valley
near Seneca. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
January 20, 1951, near
Eugene in Lane County
This small tornado moved along the ground for about
500 yards in a path 50 yards wide. It lifted a 30
x 32 foot barn 300 feet into the air, spreading timbers
over a half-mile area. It lasted for only about 13
minutes. From Oregon Climate
Service Report.
June 25, 1937, near McKenzie
Bridge in Lane County
A severe thunderstorm, accompanied by tornadic winds
and heavy fall of hail, struck near McKenzie Bridge
on the 25th of June, uprooting hundreds of trees,
demolishing summer homes, camp buildings, and damaging
many bridges. Hailstones about one inch in diameter
fell to a depth of 6 inches along the McKenzie Highway,
with inflicting damage on many automobiles. There
was no official observation of a tornado.
June 16, 1937, near Halfway
in Baker County
A tornado occurred in Pine Valley in the eastern part
of Baker County on June 16th, accompanied by hail
and heavy rain.
Here is a summary taken from
Oregon Climatic Data of June 1937. "One funnel
was distinctly seen by many people, with a few reports
of people seeing three funnels. The view of the storm
was obscured in some directions by sheets of hail,
ranging from one-fourth inch to one inch in diameter.
When the storm struck, darkness prevailed. The first
damage was the complete destruction of a barn in the
southwestern part of Halfway. A house 150 feet from
the barn was untouched. The storm seemed to jump about
300 yards, then came down again, wrecking buildings
and fences and blowing down many trees. It again jumped,
missing the main part of town, coming down in the
park, where tore everything down. The damage done
by the wind, rain, and hail was serious, covering
an area of several square miles. Gardens were ruined,
chickens killed, and windows broken. One beneficial
result of the storm was the destruction of large numbers
of crickets. This was the first tornado ever know
in the region."
Here is another description
of the tornado: "The tornado occurred between
9:22 and 9:35 am, wrecking a barn and moving a brick
church about 15 inches off its foundation. Small buildings
were turned completely over and not damaged. A garage
lifted from its foundation and thrown several feet
leaving the car inside undamaged. A cow was carried
60 feet through the air and deposited upside down
without hair and skin. Five large pine trees were
blown down around the house with no damage to the
building. A woman walking down Main Street was entangled
by a barbed wire fence, being forced to remain wrapped
in the wire for the duration of the storm, but did
escape with only minor injuries. Chickens were killed
by the hail, much loss to alfalfa and grain fields
near Halfway were destroyed, and many livestock were
killed." From the American
Meteorological Society, Monthly Weather Review,
June 1937.
June 16, 1937, near in
Baker County
This seems to have been a very significant tornado.
A barn was wrecked, a brick church was moved about
15 inches off its foundation, small buildings were
turned completely over and a garage was lifted and
thrown to the side leaving the car standing untouched
where the garage had been. A cow was carried 60 feet
through the air and deposited upside down without
hair or skin! A women was injured when she was entangled
by a barbed wire fence during the storm. From
Oregon Climate Service Report.
February 19, 1926, near
McMinnville in Yamhill County
Mr. W. J. Kelley, of McMinnville, sent the Weather
Bureau a report of what appears to have been a small
tornado that damaged his farm on February 19, 1926.
The account, together with photographs, indicated
the occurrence of winds which felled many trees and
destroyed a huge drying house (presumably drying is
associated with an agricultural process) about a mile
southwest of Mr. Kelley's farm. It is stated that
there was no lightning, thunder, nor hail with the
storm, though it rained heavily for a short time.
A friend of Mr. Kelley told him "that there seemed
to be four or five little whirlwinds in a bunch coming
down from one big and very black cloud and whirling
around with great speed." From
the American Meteorological Society Monthly Weather
Review, March 1926.
November 11, 1925, near
Salem in eastern Polk and western Marion County
At approximately 11 am, a tornado began a few miles
southwest of Salem in Polk county and travelled east-northeast
for about 5 miles. Most of the path was in Marion
county. Damage occurred to a few buildings and trees,
while the total damage was nearly a few thousand dollars.
It is quite evident that the storm was a rather poorly
defined tornado, which reached the ground at a few
places in a 5 mile path extending from just north
of Independence to a point in the Liberty district,
just to the southwest of Salem. At no place was the
path well outlined, as for the most part damage was
confined to old weak structures. No serious injuries
were reported. The destruction was mostly confined
to the right side of the path, where the whirl was
moving in the same direction as the whole storm, and
therefore most of thewreckage was carried forward.
Some damaged buildings showed the effects of the sudden
expansion of the air in the buildings against the
reduced pressure outside. This appears to the first
recorded tornado west of the Cascade Range in Oregon.From
the American Meteorological Society Monthly Weather
Review, November 1925.
April 15, 1925, near Condon
in Gilliam County
A poorly defined tornado occurred on the 15th of the
month around 10:30 am. There was much damage to warehouses
and other buildings along the northeast track of the
storm.
March 19, 1904, in East
Portland in Multnomah County
What was described as a "cyclonic storm" (Oregonian,
March 21, 1904) hit part of East Portland, March 19,
1904, destroying several shacks, doing considerable
damage to the Lewis and Clark fairgrounds, and demolishing
a large warehouse. From Oregon
Climate Service Report.
February 26, 1904, in Mt
Tabor area of Portland in Multnomah County
On February 26, 1904, a tornado struck the vicinity
of Mount Tabor on Portland's east side. Four houses
were destroyed. Others were moved off their foundations.
Damage totaled $5,000. The Oregonian, February 27,
1904, reported that the tornado, spotted at 10:42
a.m., was "not unlike a giant express train... Its
width was 50 to 100 feet and its height several times
that." The Oregonian included a photo of the Starbuck
residence which was virtually wrecked by the tornado.
From Oregon Climate Service
Report.
June 8, 1894, near Long
Creek in Grant County
The following is a reprint
from the Long Creek Eagle newspaper of June 8, 1894:
"Last Sunday morning, the rays of the morning sun
pierced every nook of the valley, but was soon obscured
from sight, and as the hour of high twelve drew nearer,
the air seem to become oppressive. About eleven o'clock
a distant thunder was heard and before one half hour
had elapsed the entire heavens was a mass of angry
clouds floating with great velocity in all directions,
and the distant peals of thunder had been replaced
by a noise resembling the cannonading of armies in
a deadly conflict. Clouds flew hither and thither,
thicker and faster, apparently stampeding in every
direction. With a roar and a rumble which was no less
than the effect of a severe wind storm in the forest
surrounding Fox Valley, two angry looking clouds met
on the summit of the mountain three miles south of
Long Creek and the work of destruction began in all
its fury, taking its course almost due north. A heavy
growth of timber on the mountainside one-half mile
in width fell before it as readily as grain before
a sickle, and in but very few seconds, the entire
eastern portion of Long Creek was at its mercy. Dwellings,
barns, and store buildings were lifted into the air
as if but the weight of a feather, and torn to atoms,
portions of which was carried for miles distant. For
a moment the air was a thickened mass of missiles,
flying in every direction.
Those occupying the residence of C. H. Lee, Riley
Thompson, and D. J. Parrish had failed to fly to places
of safety before the approach of the cyclone, and
as soon as the storm had passed those who were fortunate
hurried to the relief of the wounded and dying...."
This tornado was devastating, traveling almost due
north from atop a mountain 3 miles south of town.
Three persons were killed and seven persons seriously
injured.
The following is another excerpt
from the Grant County Blue Mountain Eagle of June
22, 1951:
"...Long Creek residents pointed that it has only
been in the past few years that new growth timber
has covered the slash made through the forests south
of Long Creek by the fury on the storm...."
June 14, 1887, near Lexington
and Long Creek in Morrow and Grant Counties
On June 14, 1887, a tornado was reported to have struck
Lexington, Oregon, killing one man and causing considerable
damage. About the same time, another tornado was supposed
to have struck Long Creek, tearing up considerable
timber from Long Creek to near Monument.
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