Wind storm season is here; are you ready?
Oct 12, 2014, 9:41 PM | Updated: Oct 13, 2014, 6:52 am
A storm as big as the Columbus Day Storm of 1962 would be far more devastating than back then since three times more people live in the region along with all the infrastructure to support them. (AP photo)
(AP photo)
The 52nd anniversary of the Columbus Day Storm is Sunday, October 12. This historic wind storm, the strongest non-tropical wind storm ever to hit the lower 48 in American history, marks the beginning of Western Washington’s wind storm season.
The Columbus Day Storm was born from the remnants of a former western Pacific tropical storm named Freda. What was left of Freda off Japan became embedded in a strong westerly jet stream across the northern Pacific and intensified dramatically off northern California as it turned north along the Pacific Northwest coast.
Wind speeds exceeded 150 mph along the Oregon and Washington coasts and topped 100 mph in the western interior valleys from Eugene to Bellingham. Since many wind instruments were destroyed or were without power, the actual highest wind speeds were not known.
The storm killed 46 people from northern California to Washington and injured hundreds of others. It blew down or destroyed thousands of buildings and knocked out power to millions of people from San Francisco to southern British Columbia. The wind storm also blew down 15 billion board feet of timber from the coast to as far east as western Montana, enough lumber to build a million homes.
The 1962 Columbus Day Storm is considered the granddaddy of all wind storms. All other wind storms are compared to it.
Could another storm like this one occur again? Yes, and it would be far more devastating than back then since three times more people live in the region along with all the infrastructure to support them.
Wind storm season is here. Wind storms occur almost every year. Some of our region’s stronger events occur about every ten years, such as the Hanukkah Eve Wind Storm of December 2006 that knocked out power to about 1.5 million people in Western Washington.
Even the first not so strong blow can produce significant impacts since it usually occurs when leaves are still on many trees and the event acts like a tree trimmer, resulting in some power outages.
Are you ready for this season’s first wind event? Now is the time to get better prepared, before the wind blows. Here are a few key resources to help you get ready at home, work or school, or in your vehicle. When you are prepared, you are not scared.
http://www.ready.gov/ http://takewinterbystorm.org/ http://emd.wa.gov/
