The 1962 Columbus Day Storm remains one of the worst and most damaging in recorded history on the central Oregon coast. Here’s what you need to know about this historic event:
Storm Intensity
The storm of October 12, 1962 was known as the Columbus Day Storm, generating hurricane-force winds. Some of the strongest wind speeds recorded were:
- Cape Blanco: Gusts greater than 145 mph (some estimates say up to 179 mph)
- Newport: 138 mph peak gust
- Corvallis: 127 mph gust before instruments were destroyed
The storm’s central pressure fell to 960 millibars, or the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane.
Widespread Impacts
The storm wreaked havoc across Oregon:
- 31 dead in Oregon and Washington
- Hundreds of people injured
- Sweeping power cuts, some places without power for weeks
- 11 billion board feet of timber estimated blown down
- $200–280 million in damages (over $2.7 billion today)
Coastal Destruction
Some of the worst impacts were seen on the central Oregon coast:
- At Cape Blanco, an anemometer lost one of its cups in the wind
- The Mt. Hebo radar station measured winds of 170 mph before equipment failure
- Major damage to buildings, infrastructure, and forests along the coast
Long-Lasting Effects
The Columbus Day Storm had lasting effects in Oregon:
- Most pertinently, it is the strongest windstorm to hit the Pacific Northwest during the 20th century
- Road building and salvage logging in previously unroaded forest areas was accelerated after the event
- It was a yardstick for estimating potential wind damage in future storms
The Columbus Day Storm of 1962 was the most powerful storm in Oregon’s weather recorded history — particularly the central Oregon coast.