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SUNNY Temp: 60 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, August 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 7, 2003 Wednesday�s storm clogged drains at the corner of McAndrews and Biddle roads in Medford, causing a �pond� to develop at the site � including the bike path. That didn�t stop 14-year-old riders, from left, Kevin Hull, Chris Hewitt and Dallas Chisum. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Now, THAT’s a storm Small fires, flood warnings, power outages arrive with vast sound and fury By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Thunderstorms rolled into the Rogue Valley Wednesday afternoon, bringing drenching rainshowers, pelting hail and dramatic lightning shows. The wild weather worried orchardists who feared for their fruit and sent firefighters rushing in search of lightning- sparked blazes. It also prompted storm and flood warnings from the National Weather Service and caused widespread power outages. Crews from cities and utilities made sure storm drains worked, streets were clear, and electricity and phone service were delivered. Advertisement The first storm blew in about 4:30 p.m., prompting the National Weather Service to issue severe thunderstorm warnings at 5 and 6 p.m. A flash flood warning was in effect through 8:30 p.m. "Most storms came over the Siskiyous right through the valley into eastern Douglas County," meteorologist Sven Nelaimischkies said. Nearly 1,000 lightning strikes were recorded across that area, with the bulk of those in Jackson County, he said. The same swath of land also got unseasonably heavy rainfall that should help drench most fires, Nelaimischkies said. Rain reports around the area ranged from a half-inch in Medford to an inch and a half to the north around Shady Cove and Eagle Point, he said. He said weather spotters in Eagle Point reported half-inch diameter hail. Smaller hailstones gave other neighborhoods a frosty look and knocked leaves from trees. John Meadors, superintendent of Hillcrest Orchards and president of the Jackson County Fruit Growers League, said Hillcrest’s orchards and vineyards east of Medford had dodged the worst of the weather, at least initially. However, he stayed close to his weather radio and kept his fingers crossed, really all growers can do in the face of severe summer storms. Wind can knock down developing fruit and bruise it, but hail is a real danger, he said. "Fruit can grow out of early hail damage, but now fruit is larger and softer and hail hits a higher percentage of fruit," Meadors said. Fruit that is cut or bruised in storms is less valuable and is susceptible to rot, which renders it useless, he said. In the vineyards, hail strips leaves off the vines so ripening slows, he said. A tree in Hawthorne Park suffered more than a loss of leaves when the storm ripped off a large branch and sent it crashing onto Main Street. Medford public works crews quickly removed the branch, said Don Mundlin, a traffic supervisor with the public works department. Crews also responded to numerous reports of flooding, mostly within several blocks of Bear Creek, Mundlin said. "I think it just came down along Bear Creek," he said of the heart of the storm. "Further east and west there wasn’t much flooding." He said the flooding was caused by rain falling faster than drains could carry it away. The water usually had flowed away by the time crews arrived, he said. Some law enforcement reports indicated water up to 3 feet deep collected in some intersections. Isolated power outages hit around the county early in the evening, but substations suffered damage later knocking out power for hundreds around the Rogue Valley,Pacific Power spokesmen said. An estimated 16,600 customers were without power for some portion of the storm, with Ashland the hardest-hit community. Qwest’s telecommunication system also reportedly took some damage. Firefighters from around the county scrambled to reports of lightning-caused fires and found a handful of smoldering snags and small grassfires that were quickly contained. Officials said many smoke sightings turned out to be steam and fog rising after the rain. Still, Oregon Department of Forestry planned to have extra crews reporting for work today, a dispatcher said. The department also scheduled reconnaissance flights today to look for fires, standard practice after thunderstorms. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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