Loud thunder from small Oregon storm shakes Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A single strike of lightning from a small Oregon storm and the ensuing thunder shook the city of Portland on Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

The flash and bang was an unexpected “one-hit wonder” that came from a small storm cell, meteorologist Tyler Kranz said. No more lightning was expected.

The boom at 2:13 p.m. led to social media posts questioning whether it was thunder or possibly a meteorite.

A lightning detector registered a single strike of lightning at the same time the thunder was reported, Kranz said. It was a positive charged cloud-to-ground flash with strong current, causing the unexpected boom.