Storms Coming this Week, Then Cooling

Looks like meteorologists are predicting a few days of fast-moving thunderstorms in southern Oregon before the weather cools down.

Scattered thunderstorms could pepper the region with lightning strikes on Tuesday before temperatures cool this week, the National Weather Service warns.

The Medford office of the weather service issued a fire weather watch for Tuesday for parts of Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Read more about the prediction at http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100816/NEWS07/8160321/-1/NEWSMAP.

Fires Popping up in Oregon

PRINEVILLE, OR -- The Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center said more than 7,500 lightning strikes pounded the area Tuesday. The storms, which started around 1 a.m., sparked approximately 50 news fires in the area, and crews were able to keep most to less than a quarter acre in size. The largest fire, the Buckhorn Fire, is burning is steep terrain along a remote section of the John Day River east of Antelope. As of Tuesday evening, the fire had grown to 150 acres. The Prineville Hotshots, a five-person hand crew, four rappellers, two helicopter and three engines are fighting the Buckhorn Fire.

A Red Flag Warning for lightning storms remains in effect until 11 p.m. Wednesday. Although some areas received heavy precipitation with these storms, it can take only hours for light fuels like grass to dry out.

West Coast Flood Risks Heightened this winter

Winter and early spring often bring intense storms over the Pacific Ocean potentially causing heavy rains on the West Coast. The rainy season accounts not only for the majority of the yearly rainfall, but also for conditions like cresting rivers, backed-up storm drains and saturated ground that can lead to devastating floods.

www.floodsmart.gov