Union's 1998 total of 6.45 inches also was a record, eclipsing the 1991 total of 5.03 inches. Undoubtedly, there were many other records set in the state. This may have been one of the most uniformly wet months the state has experienced. It appears that only a small area on the south coast received less than average rainfall. The cold air on the 25th also resulted severe thunderstorms and the formation of an evening funnel cloud near Clatskanie and a waterspout just off the coast near North Bend during that afternoon.
Most basins are now in the moderately wet category.
The Upper Deschutes and South Coast basins have the highest values. Only the extreme northern tier of the state remains in the neutral category. The northern tier of the state has lower indices and the remainder of the state has essentially the same values as last year. The month began with flooding in northeast Oregon as warm temperatures and snowmelt combined to raise river levels. May. The Sprague River in south central Oregon also rose in reaction to the snowmelt and warm temperatures.