Lightning in Oregon

Events

120

Deaths

2

Injuries

14

Damage

$3.0 million

• Hail and Damaging Wind in Oregon, August 25, 20131 death · 1.75 in hail · 9 eventsSeveral thunderstorms rolled through the area on Sunday August 25th. Some of which had: heavy rain, blowing dust, strong gusty winds and large hail. The largest hail reported was 1.75 inches and the highest estimated wind speed was about 75 MPH.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 14, 19971 death · 1 eventA man and the horse he was riding were killed when they were struck by lightning on May Ridge.
• Flash Flood and Flooding in Oregon, May 14 to 18, 2011$2.8 million · 1 in hail · 9 eventsAn upper level low pressure system moved over the Pacific Northwest. Moist and unstable conditions ahead of the low triggered widespread thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and isolated large hail.
• Dust Storm and Lightning Strike in Oregon, June 21 to 29, 1997$1.5 million · 2 eventsHighway 395 south of Hermiston was closed for a few hours when high wind and blowing dust reduced visibility to less than 50 feet. The dust is believed to have played a role in a minor accident on the highway.
• Debris Flow and Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 8 to 9, 20041 injured · $100,000 · 50 kt wind · 8 eventsA large powerful Pacific storm brought a wide variety of weather to Northwestern Oregon. High winds along the Coast heralded the approach of the storm early in the morning.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, April 22, 1998$200,000 · 1 eventLightning struck an A-frame house on Sodaville-Mountain Home Road in Sodaville and the house burned to the ground.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Oregon, July 11, 2007$160,000 · 52 kt wind · 2 eventsMonsoonal moisture combined with strong surface heating made for scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms on this date. A few of the thunderstorms achieved severe status.
• Wildfire and Hail in Oregon, August 4 to 31, 2012$101,000 · 1 in hail · 10 eventsAn upper level disturbance moving across central Oregon into a hot and unstable atmosphere brought locally severe thunderstorms with large hail, heavy rainfall, and lightning that started wildfires.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, August 5, 2003$150,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a tree, and burning embers fell through an open window, starting a fire in both the interior and exterior of the home. Damage was estimated at $150,000.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 31, 20091 injured · $100,000 · 1 eventMoist monsoonal air combined with strong surface heating allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop this day. While the thunderstorms were not severe, frequent lightning strikes caused structural damage and injuries when one of the thunderstorms moved through an urban area.
• Hail and Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 14, 2016$100,000 · 1.75 in hail · 5 eventsNegative tilt trough moved through the pacific northwest the afternoon of May 14th. Most thunderstorms produced heavy rain by evening, but some storms were producing Nickel to quarter sized hail.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, August 24, 2000$120,000 · 1 eventLightning started a range fire that burned 40,000 acres near the intersection of Butter Creek Canyon Road and State Highway 74. Several miles of fencing were lost, along with quite a bit of winter forage for livestock.
• Flash Flood and Flood in Oregon, August 9, 2019$56,000 · 1 in hail · 14 eventsA powerful upper storm system combined with modest low and mid level moisture to yield scattered strong to severe storms and flash flooding. Storms developed first across the higher terrain of central Oregon nearer the Cascades and adjacent Ochoco mountains.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, July 19, 2001$100,000 · 1 eventLightning from a thunderstorm during the afternoon of the 19th sparked a fire that later destroyed a house and its contents.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, August 20, 1998$75,000 · 1 eventLightning stuck the roof of the SpringRidge apartments in Charbonneau near Wilsonville around 930 PM PDT. The blaze damaged part of the roof and attic. Power to 1700 homes in the area was also lost temporarily .
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 17, 2014$75,000 · 1 eventA home in Woodburn, Oregon caught on Fire after being struck by lightning. There were also 2000 customers without power in Multnomah and Clackamas Counties from lightning.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Oregon, June 19, 2005$50,000 · 70 kt wind · 4 eventsA particularly strong thunderstorm formed near the Cascades in Lane county and moved north through eastern Lane, Marion, and Clackamas counties during the evening, producing strong winds and frequent lightning.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, July 27, 2010$50,000 · 1 eventA moist south to southwest flow combined with daytime heating to produce scattered thundestorms during the mid to late afternoon.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, August 13, 1999$46,000 · 1 eventEarly morning thunderstorms in the Grande Ronde valley produced frequent lightning and small hail. 800 customers in the towns of Elgin, Summerville and Imbler lost power for several hours.
• Flash Flooding and Dust Storm in Oregon, May 12 to 31, 19973 injured · 1.75 in hail · 6 eventsA thunderstorm sent a 2-foot wall of water through several homes and fields soaking carpet and scattering silt over several hundered acres. The water also took out fences and caused damage to a road.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 24, 2001$40,000 · 1 eventLightning struck a 75 foot radio antenna and short-circuited many electronic devices such as faxes, computers and phones, which were located next to the tower. One business owner estimated total losses of over 25 thousand dollars.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, July 19, 2004$40,000 · 1 eventA bolt of lightning entered a garage at Crooked River Ranch during a thunderstorm. The lightning strike entered the structure through an exterior light equipped with a motion detector. Smoke, fire, and water damage totaled the contents and caused moderate damage to the garage.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, August 10, 20001 injured · $20,000 · 1 eventLightning started a fire that burned around 20,000 acres along a 22 mile stretch of Interstate 84 between Arlington and Boardman. Dense smoke closed Interstate 84 and State Highway 74 for several hours during the late afternoon. Several roadsigns and guardrails were damaged.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, September 15, 2013$28,000 · 1 eventA thunderstorm resulted in lightning damage in Aloha, Oregon.
• Lightning Strike in Oregon, May 1, 1998$25,000 · 1 eventLightning struck two houses in Woodburn, causing minor fires.

Lightning everywhereEvery kind of event in Oregon

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.