1 injured as rare tornado strikes Oregon Coast

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Rare Oregon tornado injures 1 along the northern coast

A waterspout came ashore as a tornado in Rockaway Beach, Oregon and left one injured and a trail of damage.

ROCKAWAY BEACH, Ore. — A rare tornado swept through a coastal Oregon town Monday evening, leaving one person injured and a trail of damage in its wake.

The twister began as a waterspout over the Pacific Ocean near Rockaway Beach, but then tracked onto the shore and cut across multiple blocks.

The National Weather Service office in Portland reported in their storm survey that one person suffered minor injuries.

Damage from a tornado in Rockaway Beach, Oregon on Nov. 11, 2024. 

(Tillamook County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)

"I have not heard of any significant injuries but there's plenty of property damage," Tillamook County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Ahlers said in a post on the department’s Facebook page. "The Neah-Kah-Nie School District buildings were hit hard, though does not sound like there is any impact to school operations."

Among the damage were shattered windows at the school building, downed trees, and some toppled outbuildings.

The NWS storm survey team determined the tornado rated just an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale— the lowest rung on the scale.

Estimated peak wind speeds were 85 mph, with the tornado lasting just a quarter mile over a two-minute stretch.

Oregon only averages a couple of tornadoes in the state per year; a vast majority of them are rated EF-0.  Tuesday’s tornado is just the fifth reported since records began in 1950 reporting a tornado-related injury.

The Oregon Coast is under a minor risk of severe weather and possible waterspouts again Wednesday in the wake of a potent Pacific storm. 

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has the coast in a Level 1 out of 5 severe weather threat, indicating some thunderstorms could spawn isolated waterspouts in addition to small hail and bursts of strong wind gusts.