'Crazy Oregon weather': Hail, rain, wind and thunder whip region

By KVAL News Published: Oct 22, 2012 at 3:55 PM PDT Last Updated: Oct 22, 2012 at 5:08 PM PDT

EUGENE, Ore. - Hail washed across South Eugene on Monday afternoon, and storm clouds and blue sky took turns over Western Oregon - sometimes at the same time.

Reports of intense hail and damage to trees came in from around Eugene and Springfield.

KVAL News visited a Springfield neighborhood where a "dust devil" or other tornado-like wind storm knocked a tree through a fence and ripped a carport from a home.

"There was a pitch black cloud above us and the whole thing was spinning counter clockwise," said Philip Port, who witnessed the storm. "It went up over the house and dropped pine needles."

Bria Stewart stopped the car and took a picture out the passenger side window of calm skies - and a picture out the driver side window of storm clouds.

"Crazy Oregon weather in Junction City," Stewart told KVAL News.

Karen Forrest said a storm went over Brownsville just after 2 p.m. "that caused continuous thunder that lasted for about 15 seconds. (Yeah, now count that in your head. That is a long time!) I thought someone was dragging something outside."

Christy Graves reported "cold and thunder in Cottage Grove."

Some parts of western Oregon escaped the storm.

"Sunny with a few clouds," Jan Dupree Garvison reported from Waldport.

But for the rest of us, an old adage comes to mind - and might need an update.

"Raining dogs & cats my foot," Rebecca Sylvester wrote. "It's more like elephants & hippos."