Hail, Torrential Rain Hits Areas Around Bend

Thunderstorms that rumbled through Central Oregon also hit much of Bend with torrential rain and dime- to quarter-sized hail, flooding roads, sending Munch and Music concert-goers diving for cover and causing extensive flood-related damage to the downtown Bend Boys and Girls Club

The storm peppered the center of the state with more than 2,000 lightning strikes, raising the concern about more wildfires to come, though little thunder and lightning was reported around Bend — just a lot of rain and significant hail in places.

Hail one-half to nearly an inch in size was reported by National Weather Service spotters in and around Bend. The rain was heavy and some small mudslides were reported in the Westside hills, though the road underpasses like Greenwood, Franklin and Third Street appeared to handle the deluge fairly well.

The National Weather Service issued a “significant weather advisory” for central Deschutes County around 6:30, lasting for about an hour, as a strong thunderstorm moved east at 5 mph.

The Westside saw most of the intense action, including the hail as well as heavy rain that flooded roads and the Harmon Park baseball field, among other locations.

Lisa Holt Ross, who lives off Shevlin Park Road, told NewsChannel 21?s Facebook page it was ?huge hail for at least 10 to 15 minutes.”

Jasmine Helsley said, ?We were caught in a downpour with dime-sized hail at Munch and Music (in Drake Park). My son and I hid under a tree to wait for the hail to let up a bit, because it hurt! Water flowing pretty good through town — we made it back home soaking wet and laughing.?

Mandy Kenoyer reported ?gumball(-sized) hail? at the concert, but like Helsley added, ?We were laughing the entire way.?

This time, though, residents in Prineville and Redmond — even Deschutes River Woods, just south of Bend — reported it stayed dry, sparing Deschutes County Fair-goers, among others.

Here?s the most serious impact reported so far, as reported in an announcement the Bend Boys and Girls Club:

A hail and thunderstorm that rolled through Bend Thursday evening left its mark on the Downtown Boys & Girls Club Branch. After thorough evaluation from cleanup crews, it was determined by staff members that the Downtown Bend Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs will have to be closed on Friday, August 5th to remove the water and clean up the mess left behind. ?All three floors had standing water,? remarked Derek Beauvais, Bend Branch Club Director. He continued, ?It?s even running down the walls!?

The Downtown Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon (BGCCO) has recently started construction which involves re-pointing the masonry and repairing the roof. The cause of the flooding is not yet known. The building, owned by Bend Metro Parks and Recreation District, is being leased long term to BGCCO. Known as the old ?Downtown Athletic Club,? the building underwent an extensive renovation in 1995 to house what has since been Bend?s largest youth development organization.

The Club staff members are hopeful that cleanup will be completed by the end of the weekend, and that the summer program will be able to continue operating normally come Monday, August 8th. For complete updates and current status of this Club closing and all other Club related news, parents and supporters are urged to reference Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon?s website at www.bgcco.org. Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon would like to apologize for the inconvenience, and is hopeful that families will understand that the organization is doing everything in its power to open the doors to the kids at 7:30 Monday morning,