Damaging Wind in Oregon, July 13, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind in Oregon, July 13, 2002
Start: 2002-07-13T19:00
End: 2002-07-13T19:00
Location: Oregon

July 13, 2002 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

5 mile area in Sam's Valley. No warning was issued for this storm as there was little in the way of radar evidence and no spotter reports.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 1

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.

Strong winds associated with a thunderstorm caused considerable damage in a 0.5 mile by 2.5 mile area in Sam's Valley. It is believed that this was a microburst and the strong winds lasted 5-6 minutes.No warning was issued for this storm as there was little in the way of radar evidence and no spotter reports. In fact, this office did not hear of this event until the local newspaper started making inquiries. Damage included a destroyed 120x30 foot hangar at Beagle Sky Ranch, another damaged hangar, two overturned planes, a damaged home, several destroyed outbuildings, and tree damage.

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 13, 1:30 PM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 1:30 PM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 PM PDT SAT JUL 13 2002

MODELS INTIALIZING WELL THIS MORNING IN TRACKING SWS IN MOIST MID
LEVEL FLOW THROUGH WESTERN CONUS AROUND H5 HIGH IN ID. MODELS
HANDLING CONVECTION FROM THE CASCADES AND EAST...BUT NOT HANDLING
AXIS OF INSTABILITY EXTENDING UP FROM DEL NORTE COUNTY IN CA WELL AT
ALL. THUNDERSTORMS ARE FIRING UP ALONG AXIS OF ELEVATED HIGH LAPSE
RATES IN ZONE OF MODERATE THETA-E CONVERGANCE. AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS
WILL DEVELOP IN AREA OF PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED INSTABILITY LATER THIS
AFTERNOON WITH GENERAL FLOW MOVING STORMS TO THE NORTHEAST.

TOMORROW BEST AREA OF INSTIBILITY MOVES TO THE EAST SIDE WITH MARINE
PUSH WEST OF THE CASCADES COOLING AND STABILIZING REST OF AREA.

ALL MODELS COMING IN LINE WITH MORE PROGRESSIVE SOLUTION MOVING RIDGE
TO THE EAST AND BRINGING YET ANOTHER MARINE PUSH IN TUESDAY WITH MUCH
MORE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES IN LINE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH
A DRY PATTERN SETTING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. SVEN

.MFR...NONE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When: July 13, 7:00 PM PST
Where: Jackson County, Sams Vly
Measured: 80 kt (92 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.483, -122.967

See below.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oregon in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5304239.