"The only thing we haven't had yet this winter is a cold snap," onted KGW Meteorologist Matt Zaffino in the wake of a damaging tornado that swept through Clark County Thursday.

So far this winter, the region has been hit by a windstorm that knocked out power along the coast; flooding that led to a disaster declaration for both Oregon and Washington; and several bouts of snow that mainly dusted Portland but cancelled or delayed schools in many surrounding areas.

Then came Thursday's rare tornado. The state averages only two tornados a year, and winter tornado's are even more rare.

The unusual series of weather events has some northwest residents asking: what next?

Clark County cleans up

Vancouver area residents in the four mile path of a rare northwest tornado continued to clean up what looked like a battle zone.

Sue Anderson

The Vancouver Lake boathouse, leveled by an F1 Tornado.

Neighbors spent Friday cleaning up and assessing the damage in the aftermath of an "F1" tornado that touched down Thursday just after noon and packed wind speeds between 86 and 110 miles per hour.

 Slideshows: Newest photos I | More pics | Boathouse

 Archive: ALL slideshows | See/submit viewer photos

Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard told KGW the community was really coming together Friday, helping one another any way they can. He went on to say that the city would do anything it could to ensure that people who need assistance and funding get it.

Pollard himself almost became a victim when the tornado passed through his neighborhood, but as it turned out, his house was not damaged. “It’s scary, I mean you know… when I heard it, it was different, it was very personal, it became a different kind of a thing for me,” he said.

The tornado touched down in North Vancouver just after noon Thursday and then moved to the northeast, ripping trees out of the ground, toppling power lines and tearing roofs off homes.

No injuries were immediately reported but dozens of homes and businesses were damaged. The boathouse at Vancouver Lake was completely demolished and many rowing shells snapped apart. Nearby, a semi was also overturned and several hundred trees toppled.

Classifed initially as an EF1 Tornado, it hit at about 12:20 p.m. and was followed by several funnel clouds, which are twisters that remain above ground. An EF1 Tornado packs wind speeds between 86 and 100 mile per hour.

The tornado cut a path about a quarter-mile wide and stayed aground for two miles. Leah Edwards Clark County fire District said damage assessments showed that the tornado first touched down in the Vancouver Lake area and then moved east down 78th Street, along Highway 99 and then onto Andresen Road. She said it actually spread damage across a four-mile area, even though the tornado was only on the ground for two miles.

Viewers called KGW with reports of other extreme weather conditions including four-inch hail falling sideways, high winds and dark, luminous clouds. About the same time, police scanner traffic swarmed with reports of damage including trees down on homes, car crashes and terrified residents just trying to figure out what to do.

 TOP VIDEO:

Witness describes tornado

Man has close call with tornado

Raw: Tornado damage

Viewer captures tornado on tape

How he caught tornado on tape

Vancouver boathouse demolished

KGW radar tracks tornado

ALL tornado video

Jim Flaherty, spokesman for the Vancouver Fire Department, said there were no reports of injuries. "It looks like we came through this pretty good," he said. The extent of damage was unclear but utility officials said at least 1,200 customers had lost power.

 Share/read comments: Tell us what you saw

 Safety tips: What to do during a tornado | Red Cross info.

Funnel clouds flared up across the region, including in Gresham and Troutdale as late as 2:30 p.m.

 Details: Tornado Fujita Scale

The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings for Clark and Skamania Counties at about 12:20 p.m. and then canceled. Then, less than an hour later, NWS meteorologists said they had detected the tornado but couldn't clearly estimate its wind speed.

"We saw the tornado on the radar ... and issued a tornado warning," said Steve Todd, chief meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Portland. "About the time we were issuing it, we got a report over there from the emergency management folks that they had gotten a touch-down and some damage."

Scared residents reported loud noise, flying debris

Jerome Nye was in his car and saw the funnel pass directly over him. He said it was about 25-30 feet wide as it came across a field, then passed over traffic.

An enthusiastic storm watcher, Nye said he was amazed he was not hurt in the ordeal.

“It is one of the most remarkable experiences I’ve ever seen. I’ve always wanted to see one, but never wanted to be in one, Nye said. “I thought Wizard of Oz, here we come.”

Connie Storey of Vancouver said she was walking her dog when the wind came up and blew her across the street into her neighbor's cyclone fence, where she "hung on for dear life."

“I was literally holding on to the fence for dear life and my dog… he leaned against the fence as well and put his head against my legs and we just held on. The amount of stuff that blew by me was pretty intense,” she said.

"I heard the sound-wave first… I walked outside and noticed a really dark cloud. I had a camera phone but I was too nervous and freaked out so I ran inside the house,” said area resident Paul Robinson. “It sounded like a jet aircraft right outside my house, the whole house was vibrating in and out.”

More:

Read more eyewitness accounts

Share what you saw

Last major Vancouver tornado was in 1972

The last time a major tornado hit the Vancouver area was back in April 5th, 1972. That tornado was more severe; six people were killed and some 300 injured, including 70 children from the Peter S. Ogden Elementary School, which was demolished.

The 1972 tornado flattened buildings, threw boats onto land, and sent massive amounts of debris flying. It was an F-2 storm with winds up to 157 miles an hour.

That storm caused upward from $3 million dollars in damage.

 More: Details of 1972 tornado

KGW file video of 1972 tornado damage

NWS Chief Meteorologist Steve Todd said the region of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon sees only one or two tornadoes a year, most often in sparsely populated areas.

"We do see more of actually what we call funnel clouds," he said. "Those are the same type of phenomenon only they don't touch down. As soon as they touch down a funnel cloud changes from a funnel cloud to a tornado."