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Sunday, May 25, 2008
The Columbian

A westward-moving thunderstorm weakened Saturday evening as it passed through Clark County, but still prompted 911 calls about motorists stranded in water and flooding problems at apartment complexes in east Vancouver.

The National Weather Service in Portland issued severe thunderstorm warnings while the storm was moving northwest through Oregon and Skamania County. People were cautioned to stay inside, away from windows, and to remember that if they can hear thunder they are close enough to be struck by lightning. The warning was downgraded the warning when the storm hit Clark County.

Meteorologist Jonathan Wolfe said the criteria for a “severe” warning include wind gusts of at least 58 mph and hail sized greater than three-fourths of an inch.

The storm started to lose those characteristics, he said.

“It’s still a decent storm,” Wolfe said.

Dispatchers at Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency received numerous calls for aid Saturday night as heavy rain caused street flooding.  Nearly a third of an inch of rain fell in an hour at Pearson Field, while a rain gauge at Portland International Airport reported nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain in an hour.

Thunderstorms may return today, but won’t be as dramatic, he said.

“Today was the big one,”  he said.