Nation's Strongest - The 1962 Columbus Day Storm Revisited
·2 min
The episode begins by marking the 63rd anniversary of the 1962 Columbus Day Storm. Ted Buehner identifies it as the strongest non-tropical windstorm ever to hit the lower 48 states. Wind gusts along the Oregon and Washington coast hit 150 miles per hour. Inland areas from Eugene to Vancouver, B.C., experienced gusts over 100 mph. The North Sound region saw winds ranging from 70 to over 100 mph. The storm struck on a Friday evening, causing widespread damage. Millions of people lost power from the Bay Area to southern British Columbia. Some areas did not restore power until November. High school football games were disrupted by power outages and warping scoreboards. TV and radio stations were knocked off the air. Thousands of buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged by fallen trees and strong winds. Over 15 billion board feet of timber was blown down from the coast to western Montana. This amount of lumber could build 1 million homes. The storm claimed 46 lives and injured hundreds more. Buehner notes that all other windstorms are compared to this event. He emphasizes October as the start of the windstorm season, which runs into March. Another windstorm of this magnitude could occur. With today's population five times larger than in 1962, a similar storm would likely be devastating and long-lived. Fortunately, not all windstorms are this severe. Winds of 70 mph or more occur on average every 10 to 20 years. The last widespread big windstorm was the Hanukkah Eve windstorm on December 06, 2006. Buehner states that the region is overdue for another major event. He concludes by advising listeners to prepare in advance for significant stormy weather. Resources include ready.gov and the Red Cross Preparedness webpage.
