Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Union County, winds up to 70 mph

A severe thunderstorm warning put west central Union County and south central Umatilla County under a fast-moving threat of 70 mph wind gusts, with ping-pong-ball size hail and a storm track aimed northwest from Lehman Hot Springs toward Starkey. For people in the Grande Ronde Valley and nearby exposed roads, the next few hours meant a real risk of downed limbs, power outages, and dangerous travel.

NWS Pendleton issued the warning at 4:58 p.m. PDT on May 28 and said the cell was near Lehman Hot Springs, about 20 miles southwest of Meacham, moving northwest at 20 mph. The warning named Lehman Hot Springs and Starkey as impacted locations. In the same forecast cycle, the office said scattered thunderstorms across the region could bring strong and damaging wind gusts, isolated large hail, heavy downpours, frequent lightning, and brief bursts of excessive rainfall.

A severe thunderstorm watch had already covered Union County and much of eastern Oregon from 12:50 p.m. to 8 p.m. PDT. The broader setup left northeastern Oregon and southeast Washington between weather systems to the north and south, a pattern that NWS Pendleton said would help storms develop across central and eastern Oregon before spreading north through the evening. The local Union County forecast page also showed hazardous weather conditions and pointed to current conditions at La Grande/Union County Airport.

The immediate concern for residents was not just rain. Winds near 70 mph can turn loose patio furniture, trash bins, fencing and small farm equipment into hazards, and they can make driving especially risky on open stretches of highway and county roads. Outdoor events, field work and livestock operations faced abrupt disruption, with the storm threat strongest in places most exposed to long wind fetch across the valley and surrounding ridges. Households that rely on electricity for medical equipment, medication refrigeration or water pumps faced added pressure if outages developed.

For perspective, NOAA’s Storm Events Database tracks thunderstorm wind, hail, tornado and flood events from January 1950 through February 2026, giving forecasters and local officials a long record to compare against past severe weather in Oregon. The state has recorded 41 confirmed weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each from 1980 through 2024, including two severe storm events, a reminder that even a short-lived warning can carry lasting costs for rural communities.