A tornado warning was issued Sunday night for the Orchard and Walnut Grove areas.
The National Weather Service issued the warning shortly before 8 p.m., and it was in effect until 8:15 p.m. Sunday. Penny-sized hail was also possible, according to the weather service.
Reports of a funnel cloud in north Vancouver circulated on social media around 7:45 p.m. The system moved west before it began to dissipate, said Shawn Weagle, a meteorologist with the weather service.
Some on social media reported spotting a tornado, but the weather service has not confirmed whether any funnel clouds touched ground, Weagle said.
Light damage was reported in Orchards and Walnut Grove as well as Multnomah County, which was under a tornado warning earlier in the night, Weagle said. A meteorologist with the weather service is expected to conduct a storm survey Monday to determine if a funnel cloud touched ground and how much damage it might have caused.
While meteorologists continued to monitor weather patterns late Sunday, the strongest system has left the area, Weagle said. “I think, for the most part, the populated parts of Clark County are done with this threat.”
An unseasonably cool system created instability and, combined with shifting winds, created the “perfect recipe,” for a potential tornado, Weagle said.
Though the weather service has not completed the survey, it appears that, like past tornado scares in the area, not much damage occurred, Weagle said. The weather service last issued a tornado warning Oct. 29. Before that, a warning was issued in October 2017.
“It’s pretty unusual,” Weagle said. “It’s not exactly tornado alley.”
Flooding was also reported in parts of southwest Clark County after a period of intense rain earlier in the evening.
The weather service issued a flood advisory until 8:15 p.m. Flooding was reported on Interstate 5 and expected to potentially affect state Highway 14.
The weather service advised drivers who encounter flooding on the roadway to turn around and find alternate routes.
