Oregon, 2002

Lightning Strikes in Oregon, July 11 to 12, 2002

July 11 to 12, 2002 · NWS MFR · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A Red Flag Warning for dry lightning was issued for fire weather zones 620/621/622/623/624/625 at 1330 PDT on 07/11/02. Zones 620/622 were dropped from the warning area at 0700 PDT on 07/12/02 but were readded to the warning along with zone 617 at 1030 PDT on 07/12/02.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.

A Red Flag Warning for dry lightning was issued for fire weather zones 620/621/622/623/624/625 at 1330 PDT on 07/11/02. Zones 620/622 were dropped from the warning area at 0700 PDT on 07/12/02 but were readded to the warning along with zone 617 at 1030 PDT on 07/12/02. These zones include all or part of the counties listed above. All warnings expired at 2345 PDT on 07/12/02.A large scale lightning outbreak did occur during the warning period with most of the recorded strikes east of the Cascades. However, these strikes did cause numerous fires on both sides of the Cascades, some of which developed into major wildfires. It appears that the Red Flag Warning was timely and accurate.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 11, 1:30 PM PST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 1:30 PM PST, 0 minutes before
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 PM PDT THU JUL 11 2002

...HEAT WAVE BURNER SETS SLOWLY TO SIMMER...

AS H5 HIGH MOVES SLOWLY OFF TOWARDS ID...THICKNESSES SLOWLY DECREASE
ALSO WITH A SLIGHT COOLING TREND OCCURING DAY BY DAY. DISTURBANCE
SWINGING THROUGH SOCAL WILL MOVE MID LEVEL MOISTURE RIDING VORT LOBE
INTO REGION.

TOMORROW LARGE MODEL DISCREPENCIES EXIST AS THE THE AMOUNT OF
INSTABILITY OVER THE REGION. THE AVN IS TH LEAST UNSTABLE WITH LIS
IN THE -2 RANGE. THE ETA IS SHOWING A MOIST BIAS. THIS MOIST BIAS IS
CAUSING A HIGHLY ELEVATED CAPE IN EXCESS OF 3000. A MODIFIED SOUNDING
BRINGING THE DEWPOINT FROM 65 DOWN TO A MORE LIKELY 49 AND ADJUSTING
TEMPS BRINGS THE CAPES TO AROUND 1400...WHICH IS MORE REASONABLE. AS
DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY IN SOCAL SWINGS UP INTO REGION...ALONG WITH
GOOD MID LEVEL MOISTURE...A STRONG INVERTED V SOUNDING RESULTS. THIS
WILL BRING A CHANCE OF MODERATE DOWNBURST POTENTIAL.

LATEST MM5 IS SOMEWHAT IN LINE WITH LATEST ETA RUN. AREA REMAINS IN
GOOD THETA E CONVERGANCE EXTENDING FROM SW SISKIYOU COUNTY SWEEPING
UP TO THE NE. MOISTURE DEFICIT IS FILLED FROM PREVIOUS NIGHT WITH
PREVIOUS CONVECTION...AND AMOUNT OF MOISTURE REACHING THE SURFACE
SHOULD INCREASE ALSO. VORT LOBE SWINGS THROUGH WITH LINGERING EAST
SIDE INSTABILITY ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING TRIGGERING ANOTHER ROUND
OF TS ON THE EAST SIDE. NOTICEABLE COOLING LOOKS TO MOVE IN ON MONDAY
BEHIND THIS SYSTEM EARLY NEXT WEEK AND IS SET TO REMAIN WITH A MORE
ZONAL FLOW SETTING INTO THE WEEK.
SVEN
.MFR...GALE WARNING...CAPE BLANCO OR TO POINT ST. GEORGE CA.
       SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...FLORENCE OR TO CAPE BLANCO OR.

The radar

The Medford radar (KMAX), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Curry

When
July 11, 1:30 PM PST to July 12, 11:45 PM PST
Where
Curry County, Countywide
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
42.467, -124.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below

Lightning, Josephine

When
July 11, 1:30 PM PST to July 12, 11:45 PM PST
Where
Josephine County, Countywide
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
42.366, -123.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Jackson

When
July 11, 1:30 PM PST to July 12, 11:45 PM PST
Where
Jackson County, Countywide
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
42.432, -122.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Douglas

When
July 11, 1:30 PM PST to July 12, 11:45 PM PST
Where
Douglas County, Countywide
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
43.285, -123.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Klamath

When
July 11, 1:30 PM PST to July 12, 11:45 PM PST
Where
Klamath County, Countywide
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Lake

When
July 11, 1:30 PM PST to July 12, 11:45 PM PST
Where
Lake County, Countywide
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY
Coordinates
42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, July 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5304226, 5304227, 5304228, 5304229, 5304230, 5304231.