Saturday afternoon in Molalla did not go as planned. At about mid-afternoon on June 27, 2026, phones across west-central Clackamas County blared to life as the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for the area around the small Oregon city south of Portland. The warning, set to run until 4:15 p.m. local time, was triggered by radar and spotter reports of a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado moving southeast over or near Molalla, with hail and damaging wind gusts in the mix. Residents were urged to seek shelter immediately and stay glued to official updates.
Where the warning applied
Local media wasted no time amplifying the alert. As KATU reported, the Tornado Warning covered the Molalla area while thunderstorms and hail threatened broader stretches of western Oregon and southwest Washington. The station highlighted the same expiration time and echoed the federal guidance that people should stay sheltered while the warning remained active.
What the National Weather Service reported
According to the National Weather Service in Portland, spotters reported a funnel cloud and radar showed a storm positioned over Molalla. In its bulletin, the agency did not mince words, urging residents to “TAKE COVER NOW!” and move to a basement or interior room on the lowest floor. The alert also warned people to stay away from windows and protect themselves from flying debris while the warning stayed in effect.
What residents should do
Officials and forecasters leaned on the standard tornado safety playbook. The advice: head to an interior room on the lowest floor, put as many walls between you and the outside as possible, and avoid travel until the storm threat passes. The same wording, carried on local alert services like WeatherBug, added that anyone in mobile homes or vehicles should move to sturdier shelter right away. Keeping phones charged and tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or local emergency channels was also strongly encouraged.
Tornadoes are still a relative novelty in the Portland metro area, but county planning documents note that Clackamas County has logged several small tornado events in past years. The county’s hazard mitigation plan underscores that brief, isolated tornadoes can and do happen here, which is why officials tend to treat even short-lived warnings as a serious matter. This story will be updated if emergency agencies or local outlets release information about damage or issue any new warnings.
