Storm dumps rain, triggers Powell Butte flash flooding

(Update: Crook County Sheriff’s Office offers details)

An intense thunderstorm dumped heavy rain in the Powell Butte area early Thursday evening, triggering flash flooding that damaged at least one home and sent rushing water, mud and large rocks across roads, into canals and backyards while closing the Powell Butte Highway for about two hours.

Elsewhere in the region, heavy hail fell and numerous lightning strikes had fire crews again out searching for and putting out small fires, if the rain didn’t do so on its own.

Crook County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched shortly after 5 p.m. to a report of a flash flood in the area of Southwest Juniper Drive and Hahlen Avenue, Sgt. Mitch Madden said. Responding deputies saw high water in the ditches along the Powell Butte Highway.

Deputies arriving at the intersection of Powell Butte Highway and Shumway and Bussett roads ” encountered a river running down the road, with bowling ball-sized rocks blocking the road, ” Madden said in a news release early Friday. A deputy reached Hahlen Avenue and found a culvert had been washed out.

Around 6 p.m., the floodwaters reached the Powell Butte Highway between Cronin and Bussett roads, sending a foot of water across both lanes of the highway, Madden said.

The high water eroded the shoulder and ditch at the Central Oregon Irrigation District canal bridge along the highway, prompting the road’s closure for a couple of hours. COID was contacted to assess the amount of water flowing into their canal, Madden said, but no issues or concerns were raised by the district.

The county Road Department also was dispatched to the Powell Butte area to help assess the road’s integrity and clean up the mess the flooding left behind, using a sweeper and grader to clear debris.

” At this time, the extent of damage to county-maintained roads and/or privately-maintained roads is unknown, ” Madden said early Friday.

At least one home sustained structural damage from the flash flood, but Madden had no information about the extent of damage to the home or other private property.

” The Crook County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind you to monitor rapidly-changing weather conditions during thunderstorms, ” the sergeant wrote. ” Thunderstorms can quickly develop and produce a large amount of rainfall that could potentially catch you in a dangerous situation, not to mention the lightning danger. ”

” Flood waters can travel long distances from an active storm. If you encounter a flooded road way, ‘TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN,’ Madded added.

The sergeant noted that the National Weather Service has also predicted more thunderstorm activity Friday through Saturday night. He urged residents to monitor any weather service alerts or apps on your smartphone.

The sheriff’s office also was assisted in the area by Oregon State Police and a U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement officer.

Powell Butte Highway reopened by about 8:30 p.m.

Several residents shared photos and videos of 18 inches or more of water over roadways and floodwaters rushing toward and to homes in the area.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued, warning of gusty winds and quarter- to half-dollar size hail.

Meanwhile, crews around the region continued to tackle numerous small fires, mostly lightning-sparked, and a couple of new ones.

“Firefighters made excellent progress on the Sheep Mountain Fire near Mitchell” on Thursday, officials said, holding the line and beginning mop-up. The fire was mapped Thursday at a reduced acreage of 70 acres. Crews continued to work with a helicopter to find and put out hot spots.

Eight new fires had been reported by mid-afternoon, before the latest round of lightning. Crews had held the new starts to less than an acre.

A wildfire west of Mitchell and near the Painted Hills has burned about 150 acres and prompted Level 1 (get ready) pre-evacuation notices Thursday by the Wheeler County Sheriff’s Office.

Fire managers said the Sheep Mountain Fire began Wednesday evening and was burning about 10 miles west of Mitchell and three miles southwest of the John Day Fossil Bed National Monument’s Painted Hills Unit.

The BLM is in unified command with the Wheeler County Rural Fire Protection Association on the fire.

” Steep slopes and limited access will challenge suppression efforts today, ” Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch said in a Thursday morning report.

Crews plan to use helicopters for both bucket drops, as well as shuttling firefighters to the line. The Painted Hills remain open; however, there could be increased traffic in the area due to the fire, officials said.

Wheeler County sheriff’s deputies were notifying residents of Cougar Mountain the Mitchell area of the Level 1 (Be Ready) evacuation notification. They said the fire pushed its containment area overnight.

Central Oregon firefighters responded to six new wildfires Wednesday in the wake of lightning from thunderstorms earlier in the week.

One other fire also grew larger before a break in the weather. The Grange Hall Fire burned about two miles northeast of Clarno, on the east side of the John Day River, growing quickly to 100 acres before rain slowed its progress.

A Red Flag Warning for abundant lightning and gusty winds is in place until Saturday. Although some rain is predicted with the storms, continued hot and dry conditions could allow ” hold-over ” fires to flare up days or weeks later.