The 6/2/1894 severe thunderstorm outbreak that produced the tornado is the stuff of legend. Quite likely the most intense severe weather event that has actually been documented in the region. Think 6/4/2009 but with even better forcing from that Little Ice Age adjacent troughing we had at our disposal. It did coincidentally occur right smack dab in the middle of the historic flooding, as all of Oregon's sewage was spewing into downtown Portland (so not that different from today). Here's a few Oregonian excerpts. Some of which may be exaggerated but they paint the picture. Large damaging hail at Cottage Grove. Portland had winds hit at least 53mph, and probably even higher if we're using modern standards with 5 second gusts (it says the velocity was equal to 1880). And then a lightning fatality at Troutdale. RIP to Mr. McCulloch and his horse.

It is.

Love micro climate talk. I think anything over 1500 ft is cheating unless you are literally on the water lol

Flawed. I've found I have to FACT CHECK AI quite often when it comes to weather records.

I saw a NWS Pendelton Post 3 minutes after I posted this from 2014 on this tornado, but no intensity listed, so they knew. I need to find it again, but there's been a few sources in Portland who claimed the 1972 tornado was the only fatal one in the PNW (its Washington's only fatal to my knowledge but I could be wrong). This is not going to live as rent free as Manzanita 2016, but I would be interested to get a definitive strength. Edit: Grazulis also had the 1888 tornado in his analysis. He rated it an F2.