Overnight storm topples trees, damages property across The Dalles

May 29

Written By Columbia Community Connection

Volunteers help clear debris and downed trees at The Dalles Country Club this morning. Greenskeeper Mario said about 5 trees went down in the links during the storm.

By Joshuah Albert

The Dalles, Ore., May 29, 2026 — Less than 24 hours after forecasters warned that thunderstorms could develop across the Columbia River Gorge, residents awoke Friday morning to find fallen trees, broken limbs, and scattered storm damage across The Dalles.

A crew with Luciano Tree Service works on chipping a downed tree at Adventist Health Columbia Gorge Hospital this morning.

719 20th street near Sorosis Park also had an uprooted tree laying on its side towards house

The overnight storm brought heavy rain, lightning and strong winds to the city, toppling mature trees and leaving cleanup crews, city workers and property owners busy throughout the day. Locals reported about ¾ of an inch of rain in and around The Dalles and those near same precipitation amounts hit outside of Dufur as well as Condon and even near Ione.

Despite concerns about hail before the storm arrived, no significant hail damage had been reported Friday morning. Instead, high winds appeared to be the primary culprit behind the damage. Forecasters had warned that thunderstorms in the Gorge could produce wind gusts approaching 60 mph in stronger storm cells.

Evidence of the storm's force could be found throughout town.

Tree down at Great and Small childcare across the street from the hospital in The Dalles.

Parking lot at Klindt Cove Pocket Park in the Port of The Dalles had two trees go down in the parking lot.

Near downtown, one large tree was uprooted completely, tearing out a section of landscaping and lifting chunks of sod and soil as it fell at The Dalles City Hall. Nearby, crews had already cut the tree into sections by Friday morning, leaving a stack of logs along the sidewalk as cleanup efforts continued.

Elsewhere in the city, another tree crashed onto a home, its branches sprawling across the roof and driveway. A large evergreen also came down in a residential neighborhood, leaving a massive pile of branches and debris covering much of a yard.

Groundskeeper Mario at The Dalles Country Club.

Volunteers help clear Debris and downed trees at The Dalles Country Club

At Sorosis Park and The Dalles Country Club, branches snapped and trees went down.

At the golf course, volunteers and maintenance crews spent the morning raking leaves, gathering branches, and cutting apart fallen trees. Large limbs littered grassy areas, while chainsaws buzzed as workers cleared hazards and reopened affected areas.

The damage appeared widespread but scattered, consistent with the type of thunderstorm-driven wind event meteorologists had warned could develop Thursday afternoon and evening. The National Weather Service had placed portions of the Columbia River Gorge under a marginal to slight risk for severe thunderstorms, with damaging winds identified as one of the primary threats.

By Friday afternoon, much of the city was already in recovery mode. Residents hauled branches to the curb, crews removed debris from public spaces and property owners assessed damage to homes, vehicles and landscaping.

744 18th Street also had a tree come down upon its roof.

This tree had already been bucked where it came down in the parking lot of City of The Dalles City Hall on Third Street.

While the storm left behind plenty of cleanup work, there were no immediate reports Friday morning of serious injuries associated with the weather event.

For many residents, the aftermath served as a reminder that spring thunderstorms in the Gorge can sometimes pack more punch than expected.