PORTLAND, Ore. — A loud, dramatic thunder and lightning storm rolled through the Willamette Valley and greater Portland area early Thursday morning, knocking out power to thousands.
"Anyone who wasn't awake in Salem by 3 a.m. certainly was soon after. That was insane," Patricia Kay Heintz posted on KGW's Facebook page.
As of about 6 a.m., fewer than 1,000 Portland General Electric customers remained without power, down from an earlier figure that hit 13,000. Most of the outages were reported in Clackamas County.
In Gladstone, lightning struck and split a sequoia tree. The homeowner told KGW it sounded like a giant explosion. No one was injured.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lightning in Portland, Oregon
Your Pics: Dramatic lightning storm in Portland
"A southerly flow is producing showers and thunderstorms early this morning from the coast to the Cascades," said KGW meteorologist Rod Hill. "The unstable flow pattern continues today, meaning another round of stormy skies is possible. Valley highs will hold in the 80s this afternoon, breaking the two-day run of 90-degree heat."
The lightning in Portland made for an impressive timelapse from KGW's Rose City sky cam.