The Columbus Day storm of 1962 remains the most powerful windstorm to ever hit the Pacific Northwest, causing widespread devastation across the region.
The storm struck on October 12, 1962, leaving a trail of destruction from Northern California to British Columbia, with the strongest impacts felt in Oregon and Washington.
This historic storm was fueled by the remnants of Typhoon Freda, which merged with a midlatitude system to create an extraordinarily intense low-pressure system.
The resulting windstorm brought hurricane-force winds, with gusts exceeding 100 mph in many areas. In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, wind gusts reached up to 116 mph, while the Seattle-Tacoma area experienced gusts as high as 98 mph.
The damage was catastrophic.
Across the Pacific Northwest, more than 15 billion board feet of timber were toppled, equivalent to a year’s worth of logging at the time. Entire forests were flattened, and urban areas saw widespread destruction of homes, buildings, and infrastructure.
Power outages lasted weeks in some places as utility poles and power lines were torn down.
The storm claimed 46 lives and injured hundreds more. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, and the estimated cost of the damage exceeded $230 million—equivalent to over $2 billion today.
The Columbus Day storm also disrupted daily life and infrastructure. Schools and businesses closed, transportation was paralyzed, and emergency services were stretched thin.
In Portland, the storm left nearly 90% of residents without power. Airports, including Seattle-Tacoma International, were forced to shut down temporarily due to high winds and debris.
Meteorologists consider the Columbus Day storm a benchmark event.
It was a classic example of extratropical cyclogenesis, with rapid pressure drops and wind speeds that rivaled those of a Category 3 hurricane.
Its strength and widespread impacts remain unmatched in the Pacific Northwest’s weather history.
©2024 Cox Media Group
