BATTLE GROUND, Wash. — The National Weather Service has lifted a tornado warning that had been in place for parts of Clark County Monday afternoon. The alert was issued just before 3 p.m. for an area extending north and east from Interstate 205 near Barberton and included Battle Ground, Hockinson and Venersborg. It was lifted at 3:20 p.m.
Pea-sized hail was also possible, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service's tornado account, and the agency said that even with the tornado alert lifted, heavy rain was expected to continue for much of Clark County, potentially causing localized pooling and visibility hazards, and residents should be cautious.
The warning was based on rotation in the clouds observed on radar, according to KGW chief meteorologist Matt Zaffino, although so far there are no reports of tornado activity observed at ground level.
The warning was issued about about 20 minutes after the National Weather Service's Portland office tweeted its own alert about a band of heavy rain forming over the greater Portland metro area, including portions of Clark County. The agency warned residents to prepare for rapidly changing conditions, and there was a flood advisory in place for parts of north Portland and Vancouver until 4:30 p.m., according to Zaffino.
"You get flooding of intersections, ponding on the roadways, but also visibility has been knocked down to next to nothing in this band of heavy, heavy rain that moved on through," Zaffino said just after the downpour.
Temperatures in the metro area were at 63 degrees with about 90% humidity Monday afternoon, he added, meaning there was a large amount of moisture in the air to contribute to the downpour.
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