I was a student at Shumway Junior High in 1962 and my father sold advertising for The Columbian. I was in my bedroom reading and listening to KISS-AM radio on the afternoon of October 12, 1962. My father left the office at 5:00 p.m. and, when he got to our house near Ben Franklin Elementary School, he reported that there were already power lines and trees down.

My mother, father and I spent the night sitting in the dark in our living room, eating melting chocolate ice cream and waiting for the storm to pass. Saturday morning we headed out to for breakfast and found a restaurant in Hazel Dell that had power. I spent the rest of the weekend with my girlfriend, helping to clear up her grandparents' yard in downtown Vancouver, where they had lost a lot of big, old trees.

It was a little nippy in the house at night without heat, but we had a fireplace so that helped. Schools were closed on Monday because most of the schools still didn't have power. They re-opened on Tuesday, and I had to go, even though we still didn't have power, so I couldn't shower (major embarassment at that age!)

I've lived in Virginia since 1978 and a couple of years ago, my son-in-law introduced me to a good friend who's a grad student in meteorology at UW. We chatted about the weather -- it was snowing -- and later in the evening he asked me if I knew anything about the Columbus Day Storm because his professors had lectured about it. Of course, I was thrilled to find someone who had heard of it, and told him a little of my experiences.

former Vancouver resident, now in Virginia
submitted September 21, 2005

 

I was in 3rd grade at Columbia Valley Gardens Elementary School in Longview, WA.

Early on my Dad let us out into the front yard to blow around in the wind. We could lean into it and were also blown over. A few minutes of that and our parents moved us inside. I spent most of the evening by the living room windows with my 2 sisters and brother watching the four 60-80' fir trees across the street blow down one after another.

A small trailer rolled end over end down the street at one point and our back fence blew down. Sometime during the night my Dad climbed up on the roof and replaced some shingles.

Neighbors attending the RA Long HS football game that night were in the stands when the big flat roof was blown off over their heads and flipped over into the practice field behind. Power was off for 3 days and piles of trees were everywhere.

Richard Stratton, Bellevue, WA
submitted September 21, 2005

 

I was only five years old back then.......But I DO REMEMBER seeing the storm...

My family lived on the "West Side" of town on Simpson Ave. We "HAD" a tree in the front yard that was approximately 200foot tall. That tree was swinging around like it was made of rubber. The weird thing about the whole thing was it NEVER touched the electrical wires or my parents' house.

I do remember telling my mom and dad that the "Big Tree" was getting REALLY close to the house. They told me not to worry about it and please move away from the window. I stayed and watched anyway. During that storm, I witnessed something that "STUCK WITH ME" even now I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

What happened was... "Remember" I told you about that 200foot tree in our front yard?...Well, during the storm, it was "LITTERALLY" cut in half by a lightning bolt. Then before the top of the tree could ever touch the ground, it SHOT like an arrow down the street and came to rest against an telephone pole, like it was placed there gently. It did no damage to anything, not even the telephone pole.

Now here is little bit of trivia for you........ The sign on the Day n Night Market... Have you ever wondered why it LOOKS the way it does?

Well the answer is because the storm toppled it over in such a way that it was turned backwards as well. The store manager or the store owner at that time decided to leave it that way when they put it back on the building. That's why the sign is upside down and backwards.

And it is surprising that no one has ever mentioned this to you. Well I hope this gets placed with all the rest.

John L. Walker, Camas, WA
submitted August 29, 2005

 

I was a freshman at Central High School, which is located between Monmouth and Independence, Oregon, a few miles west of Salem, Oregon.

The night of the 11th I played in a freshman football game against Silverton at Central High. That was a miserable night with the wind and rain and all. I ended up staying the night with a good friend, Bob Worthington.

Very early the next morning we awoke to crazy things going on outside. In fact, we didn't get much sleep at all because of the wind, that just kept building and building. As we looked outside with the morning light, we could see high winds tearing at everything. It didn't look good. Large sheets of metal were being torn loose from grain elevators and blowing through the air like tree leaves. Trees were being blown over. Things were flying everywhere.

Bob and I decided to go out and see the sights. Not a good idea, but we went anyway, as boys will do. It was very difficult walking in that wind, as high as 100 mph. I remember a tree leaf hitting me in the face. That hurt! Bob and I made our way to the top of the Independence bridge that crosses the Willamette River, not too far from Bob's house. That was tuff going. From the top of the bridge, the river looked like the ocean, with tall waves and white caps. It was a sight I'll never forget.

I also remember holding on to the railing really, really tight! We made our way back to Bob's house where we stayed put for the rest of the day...and night. That's all I can remember until the next day, when I headed home in Monmouth, where it became apparent just how much damage the storm had caused! The place was a mess! Many of the tall, tall beautiful (that I used to climb) fir tress on O.C.E. college's property in Monmouth were blown down. It looked like a giant was playing pick up sticks with the trees but never finished the game. Parts of the college were destroyed. Homes and cars had trees atop them. Windows blown out. Houses torn up. Power out.

Our house had one of those roof covers with something like tar with white rock spread all over it. It simply looked like a rock roof cover. Well, the vast majority of those rocks were now blown all over the place. On the street, lawns, just about everywhere but where they belonged on the roof. Weird looking sight. Never seen anything like it before, or since.

Mike Hayes, Salem, Oregon
submitted July 10, 2005

 

My name is Dave Tarsi. I am 56 years old. I like your website. It is good to have that info so people realize what has happened and what can happen.

I was just about 14 years old when the storm hit. We lived in a small town called Marysville, in the northwest part of Washington state. The power was out for a week after that storm.

We were one of the lucky families, not having any large trees around the house. ( I have nothing against trees, in fact I have lived in the forest for 30 years )

I remember standing outside and hearing the wind screaming through the wires like in a surealistic horror movie. The clouds were moving overhead like a fast forward video. I guess we got around 90 mph winds at our house.

I have read that there was 17 billion board feet of trees blown down in the forests. As I think back, I am surprised the windows did not break from the force of the wind. We had small shrubs in the yard in front of the house that probably broke most of the force.

The scary part is that if ( or should I say when ) we ever get another storm like that one; there will far more damage and injuries than back then. The upside is maybe there will be better warning now that communication has advanced.

Dave Tarsi
submitted April 25, 2005

 

I was a first grader at St. Mary's Catholic School in the tiny burg of Shaw, about 8 miles SE of Salem, Oregon. The winds picked up in strength during the early afternoon school bus ride back to Aumsville where I lived. I think my mom was in Salem at the time and had not gotten home before I did. My dad was on the last of his Coast Distributor's route out of Salem as well. A tree had blown down across the road in front of our school bus just outside of Aumsville. Our driver was a local farmer. He backed the bus up and got a running start and got us over and past that tree. I ended up about 3 seats further back in the bus, shook up but uninjured. The tree was small enough that our bus didn't sustain significant damage.

Our family lived on the main street and my grandmother right across from us. She came over and brought my older brother and I to her house. My younger brother and sister were already there. I remember my older brother helping our grandmother slide her garage door shut in that howling wind.

Power was lost before dark and still no parents. We were scared silly. The wind brought down trees all over town, which resounded with chainsaws for about 2 weeks. The volunteer firefighters were checking all over town for fires caused by live downed power lines. One fell on the wood shingled roof of our garage and started a fire. The volunteers caught it in time and knocked it right out. Thank God for the John Bean high pressure pump on that engine. It was able to knock the power line off our garage roof and put out the fire against the force of the wind.

I don't remember how long we were without power. Many large, old trees went down. These seemed unmoveable before the storm but now some were snapped in two, almost all were missing limbs and debris was everywhere.

In retrospect, that was the closest thing I've seen to nuclear devastation. It was speculated the storm was brought about by the cumulative effect of the nuclear testing of that time. The storm lasted for hours it seemed and was preceeded by erie glow in the sky from what I read about it in later years. My parents finally returned home and we all rode out the storm at my grandmothers.

I've yet to see a storm that comes even remotely close to the fury of this one.

Dan Roberts
submitted January 12, 2005

 

In October 1962 I was one month old living in Amboy with my parents and grandparents.

We lived on a hill at the end of T.Carry Rd. We had 40 acres with a large old two story farmhouse and a big red barn..Of course I dont have memorey of the storm but it must have been something.

An old growth fir that stood in our front yard blew down dead center onto the house destroying the upstairs part of the house.Lucky for us we were all downstairs..We were without power for about a week or so and lived in the barn while the house was repaired.

Michael Wagoner
Vancouver, WA
submitted February 12, 2005

 

I was 11 years old at the time of the storm. We were living at 3316 "S" ST. in the Rosemere area of Vancouver.

My Father Don Werner, had us put on some old aluminum hard hats and head out into the backyard to pickup the walnuts as they were falling. It was amazing how loud the wind was and how the trees were being tossed about.

After the wind started to slow up, At around midnight, My father and I, who were avid hunters and proceeded to drive down to Nasalle Wa. for our deer hunt. I remember going by Lake Sacajawea park in Longview. The road was inundated with downed trees.

The city had taken chainsaws and had cut a path, just large enough for our truck to fit through. Every time we would cross over a down powerline my father would tell me not to touch any metal on the pickup truck. He was afraid of us getting shocked.

Tom Werner
Rockdale TX
submitted October 28, 2004

 

I was 8 yrs old and living in Lynnwood and I can remeber the power being out for at least a week we lost part of our roof, my mom had to cook via camp stove in the kitchen, we had heat via fireplace.

Doug Wells
submitted October 27, 2004

 

Though I live in Vancouver now. In 1962, I lived in Camas. In fact, I lived in an easily rememberable location. I lived on the main street of town, on 3rd street. I still recall the address, 813 N.E. 3rd Street.

Our family rented the house from Judge Eugene Harris. The house is no longer standing. It was torn down to build the Burgerville that is now there. Camas has gone through an amazing number of changes since that day in 1962.

I was eight years old on October 12, 1962, I lived in the house with my Mother, Father, and three sisters. My cousin was going to school at the Washington State School for the Deaf at the time. His family lived in Montana and he was a boarding student there. My aunt heard about the approaching storm and asked my mother to go and get my cousin.

I remember going with her and my mother saying that she had never seen the clouds being that combination of colors before. A mix of reds, greens, and purples. We picked up my cousin and barely got home before the wind started blowing.

I remember watching Jack Capell on T.V. saying that we were in for typhoon force winds, the like of which he had never seen before. That because the previous weeks had been much wetter than normal, to expect a large number of trees to fall. Because the water table had been raised and the roots of the trees weren't as securely anchored as they normally would have been.

We lost power not long after the winds began to blow. The house we lived in was a two-story affair, but my parents had all of us kids sleep downstairs in the frontroom, in case we had to leave in a hurry. I remember the wind blowing furiously and wondering if the back porch might blown down (it didn't). The winds blew most of the night and the next morning we woke to a bright sunshiny day.

The one thing that I remember most about that day was being so disappointed that I had to go to school that day. Right after the storm, the only school in Camas that closed was Oak Park Elementary school. My younger sister was going to that school, but I was going to Helen Baller Elementary School at the time. In those days, I usually walked to school and I remember going past Louis Bloch Park in Camas and marveling over the large number of trees that were downed.

Later that day, I saw the same at Crown Park. So I would have to say that the most significant memory that I have of the Columbus Day Storm is how it took down so many trees in the area.

William D. Miller
submitted October 24, 2004

 

I still remember the storm like it was last week after all these years. I remember myself and my future wife Janice had just come from work in Portland to my home on 33rd street near the hospital about a block off Main Street, just northwest of Shumway Jr.High. I live there with my parents and sister and brothers. When the storm hit the wind really did blow that late afternoon. We did lose one of our boulevard trees. I remember as the wind was starting to drop off I went outside and tried to hold the tree up so we would not lose it, but I could not hold it up.

I was just reading the Columbian newspaper on the Internet and saw your article. I worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad in Portland, Oregon, and was transferred to St. Paul, Minnesota in 1971. I am retired now. Janice and I live in North St. Paul, Minnesota, we have not moved back home yet, but I still miss all my friends and family from Vancouver from time to time. I graduate from the old Fort Vancouver (26 street) in 1957.


Elmer A. Strohmeier Jr.
submitted October 19, 2004

 

I was living on Vashon Island up by Seattle/Tacoma. We lived on the water and lived in a house that had windows all facing the water. When the storm came we covered all the windows with blankets and we all hid in our kitchen. It seemed like it would never end - it lasted most of the night and we thought the windows would break, but they never did.
We did lose our boat, however.
It was my twin brother's and my 16th birthday. I'll never forget it!

Judy Hartman
submitted October 15, 2004

 

I was a junior in High School at St. Francis Seminary in Troutdale, Oregon. It's hard enough being away from home but when the winds started blowing it was frightening.

We lost all power, etc. and I couldn't talk with my parents in Albany, Oregon, so it was quite unerving. We were watching outside at one point and a gust of wind came and blew a whole line of trees down on the top of a bluff overlooking the Sandy River.
We were glad when it was over.

John F. Fischbach
submitted October 15, 2004

 

Nice story. I was actually shocked to see someone write about that from so long ago! It brought back memories from my childhood..*S* (smile).
I'm originally from Vancouver, Wa. not Canada..laughing, and remember that storm, currently live in Atlanta, GA. I was only 6 at the time and the only thing I can remember from that storm was our front screen door was blown away, my mother and 2 brothers lived there.

Did not know the aftermath of that storm or the seriousness of it!
Thank you for sharing that story..*S* Take care! and hope to read more stories from you!

Lana Marion
submitted October 14, 2004

 

My 75-year old neighbor D.D. Boice related this story to me about the Columbus Day storm of 1962 which I thought your readers might also enjoy:

"At that time I was quarry superintendant at the Marble Mt. quarry above Wilderville, Oregon. The day was typically mild and cloudy and uneventful. About 15 of us were just finishing lunch when the lights flickered. Just before noon the wind began to blow and then became fierce. The doors on the shop blew off and I ordered the three 65-ton Euclid trucks to plug the hole and for everyone to cover under the trucks.

Al Brittain was on the hill and I went up to get him. There were fir trees 4 feet in diameter flying everywhere and you could hardly see for the dust. It was a tornado. I got Al and we got down. We then all hunkered under the Eucs where we hugged each other and were tossed about.

The storm lasted about 40 minutes and then was over. I sent Nick Coulter down to check the road- he immediately came back and said we were blocked in. That would have been about 2 p.m. I guess. We had 3 chain saws and a D-7 Cat. It was a little after 7 p.m. when we got down."

Kevin from Oregon
submitted October 13,2004

 

I was 8 yrs. old, living in a Seattle suburb with lots of undeveloped acreage. We had 5 tree forts in the surrounding area, and all were destroyed. The forest looked like a bomb site afterward, with the alders taking the biggest hit. Since then, I have read that this storm was more powerful in meteorlogical terms than the "Perfect Storm" of moviedom fame.

J Price
submitted October 13,2004

 

I still remember that long day. I was a student at the University of Washington riding the Union Pacific train home to Vancouver from Seattle for the weekend when the storm started. I was going home to attend the Washington-OSU football game at Multnomah Stadium.

Rather than the scheduled 4-hr ride which normally would have arrived in Vancouver at 9:30 PM, we finally arrived around 5:30 AM after being stopped by downed power lines blocking the tracks and toppled trees dragging down the side of the cars.

The game was held as scheduled--don't remember who won--but do remember walking around live downed power lines in north Portland to reach the stadium. My parents were without power for 4 or 5 days and cooked their food on a single-burner Coleman stove.

Walt Frederick
submitted October 12,2004

 

In the summer, my family moved from 5th St. in Vancouver to 6th St., just up to the top of the hill near Crosley Bowling Lanes. There was a big Chestnut tree in our front yard and I was just the kid to climb it. I was in the sixth grade at Harney Elementary School in 1962. When the wind started coming up on October 12th, we noticed it coming out of the south, which was unusual. My family had a view of the Columbia River and Portland from our front windows.

The storm grew in intensity. My mother tried to keep us in the back of the house for safety, but my sister Rose and I needed to see what was going on. We were standing at the front windows watching the power plants blow out in Portland when the wind knocked the Chestnut tree over onto the house. We skittered back when it was falling and watched the debris flying into the windows. My father came into the room a minute later and warned us to get back as the tree might fall. The wind was roaring so loud he hadn't heard this great big tree fall right onto the living room.

My brother Dave came flying home on his bicycle. He'd been out delivering newspapers when the wind picked him (and his bike) up and turned them around, facing where he'd just come from. A man told him to go home and Dave put on a burst of strength into the headwind and made it.

The next day, Harney school was closed, which didn't break my young heart. I was disappointed that some of the large Fir trees in the playground had been knocked down. One interesting thing was how popular our house became. Our family was into camping and we had a Coleman stove. Not too many folks in the area had a source for hot food and water. We had people we'd never met come to the house to get a hot cup of coffee and a bowl of soup. That was pretty cool.

Joel Ramey
Battle Ground, WA
submitted October 12,2004

 

I was just three weeks shy of my 5th birthday on Oct. 12, 1962. I was living with my family in SE Portland, Oregon. I remember what a lovely day it was-to begin with. But, by mid-afternoon my mother was acting quite anxious.

She announced that she and I were going to walk the few blocks to the bus stop and collect my older (by 8 years) sister who was on her way home from high school. I realized how odd this was and must've asked why we were going to get my sister. Mother informed me that a bad storm was coming and she wanted everyone safe at home as soon as possible.

In fact, a friend of hers had called earlier in the day. He knew what was coming, pulled his children out of school early, notified his friends and began to batten down his home.

As my mother and I walked to the bus stop I noticed how the weather had changed. It was oppressivly humid. There was a very high overcast. But it wasn't the bright white overcast we're used to. The sky was yellow-green. (Anyone who's been in a tropical thunderstorm/hurricane will know what I mean) There was no animal activity-no dogs barking, no cats running about, no birds flying, no bird song in the air.

My sister had rounded the corner and was rather surprised and miffed to find us there. Home we went to await my father and older brother. Now, my father was in the habit of joining his friends and co-workers for lunch at the cafe inside the local Fred Meyer's store. On that day he noticed a sale table of barometers. He loved that kind of thing so he stopped for a look. He figured the barometers were on sale because they were all broken. He came to the conclusion they were broken because the barometers all had a very low reading. Evidently he had never before seen a barometer reading that low.

To this day I wonder what that barometer reading was. I have emailed NOAA with this question but have never heard back from them. Anyway, everyone eventually managed to make it home safe and sound. However, it was a very long night of howling winds, battering rains and scarey noises.

Mother had to yell at my sister to come downstairs out of the west bedroom and away from the windows nearest the Redwood tree. My sister was again miffed, but did as she was told. We were very lucky to have sustained little damage-especially when you consider that our home was surrounded by large trees. The aftermath of this, the most powerful non-tropical storm to ever hit the United States, was amazing and bad.

So, don't think that what happened in Florida this past September can't happen here. It has, and no doubt will again someday.

Emilie M. Smith
submitted October 12,2004

 

On Columbus Day in 1962 I lived with my two younger brothers, 6 & 2, and my Mom and Dad in Mayger Oregon. I was 8 years old and my Dad was working the swing shift at the paper mill in Longview. In the early evening my older brother and I were outside loving the storm. We were lying into the wind and letting it support us. Later on that night when I was getting ready for bed I started becoming afraid. I told my Mom that this was going to be a bad storm but she said,"No, it's just a little wind.", so I went to bed.

I didn't wake up until the next day. When I looked out of my upstairs bedroom window I saw six of our huge 100 year old apple trees completely uprooted. Our one outside dog was wrapped up in one of them, unhurt, but yapping loudly. Our house was also a hundred years old but it must have been well made because it sustained no damage at all. My father had come home across the Longview bridge at about 10 pm that night and said he hadn't been sure he was going to make it.

The aftermath for us was what seemed like 3 weeks of no school and a root cellar full of apples which lasted through the next fall, as well as a sense of excitement which will never be forgotten.

Donnie McManus
Mayger, Or
submitted October 11,2004

 

Hey thanks for the time.
My family lived in Ludlum hill and we had a huge 5 finger maple tree in our yard.

For some reason my mom's first husband was always stocking up on food and water dog food beer and SPAM! He was a X marine.

The wind started to howl and I stood up on the dining room table and announced much to the surprise of all the adults that we needed to get to the basement the tree was going to fall right where I was standing.From that moment I just remember my mother and Nana mumbling something about my gift of sight and if I was wrong where a foot might go.

And then we all saw the tree enter the house and fall on the dining room table. It was a weird noise but we ate cake and ice-cream and the neighbors came and stayed and shared and as kids we made the best of things and helped until the adults became tired of us "helping" and sent us into get goodies for everyone. One neighbor was a baker a real good one. So inspite of the havoc that the grown ups went through we kids had many hours of games new forts and wore out the highschool football players making them pull us around on mounds of fallen tree branches .

The parents were sharing and caring and from what I remember there were moments of tears giggles swear words and sweat. And the food was on forever, I think it brought the neighborhood closer than it had already been. Thanks again Namast'e HRM Guru Padma Donais Christmas Ambassador Santa Claus North pole right were the sky begins to bend

Gary Donais
submitted October 11,2004

 

I was a teacher at Henry Hill Jr High.I lived with my family of four in 10x40 mobile home on my lot at the outskirts of Monmouth, Ore. To protect my trailer I used some knowledge learned from my father who was a roofer and a pilot.

I can tell you with authority that the wind was about 100 mph at my location. I later became a roofing expert and have since studied wind damaged structures for forty years. The fact that the wind was reported to be a certain low speed at one location means nothing at some other location.

That storm changed my life for the better as I left my $4600 dollar a year teaching job and became a roofing manufacture's representative through a series of circumstances directly related to the storm.. The first year at that job I made more money than the Monmouth/Independence superintendent of schools.
It appears that old saying about "an ill wind" may have been true for me.

Bob Byrd
Fallbrook, CA.
submitted October 11,2004

 

For many years, my father, brother, and I were Vancouver (Clark County) residents. My family redirected back to Seattle (9715 Aurora Ave. N.) from Portland, Oregon, in 1962, in order that I might undergo a series of operations at the Children's Orthopedic Hospital.

I have many memories of that terrific storm. However; the most impressive was the path of Interstate-5 from Seattle to Portland that I witnessed in the storms aftermath. Huge trees were down and chunks of concrete exposed upwards from its once smooth state! I have witnessed many events since that time, but none have impacted my memories as that storm had done.

We relocated to Vancouver, WA shortly after that storm, as my father latched on to a job driving truck there.
Thank you for affording myself the opportunity to openly reflect!

Robert Crandall (Rob)
submitted October 6,2004

 

The older I get the more I think how very lucky my family was back on that day of the Columbus Day Storm. We lived on Broadway Street in Salem, Oregon.

My family consisted of my mother, Maria, and my four brothers and sisters. We were farmworkers and had been living in Oregon for a mere year and a half, or so. In the summer we moved to a "labor camp" close to Jefferson. The owner's name was Ken. That' s all I remember.

In the winter, because my mother didn't want to ever return to Texas, where life was harder, we moved to Salem, where we lived in a rented house on Broadway when the storm hit. Our next door neighbors were friendly and I remember us children playing outside with the kids from next door as the storm was approaching, but then went inside.

Our little rented house must have been strong because we all made it OK. I wish that I had been old enough to have been there for my mom, who must have been so scared for us children and herself. I remember the wind most of all and that it blew so fast and so loud.

I remember hearing about one of the bridges that crossed the Willamette River in Salem and hearing about cars almost being blown off.

I now read about the hurricanes that are going on in the Caribbean and Florida, not to mention the other states that have felt the effects of the hurricanes. I just cannot image what it would be like to have to suffer through more than one storm in one month. I know that the Columbus Day Storm will always stay in my memory, even though I was little. I know live in Phoenix, AZ, where it gets unbearably hot in the summer time. We also have the monsoon season, and I haven't really been through a serious storm yet, but know that anything is possible with Mother Nature...because the Columbus Day Storm is testament to that. Who would have ever imagine a storm of that multitude in the Pacific Northwest?

Sandra Rossow
submitted September 18,2004

 

I can relate to the Columbus Day storm because my name is David L. Columbus. I was 11 years old in 1962 and living on Waverly Drive in Albany, OR. Waverly Drive runs parallel to I-5 and is a mile or so due west. My most vivid memory was watching the T&R truck stop sign blow down. I don't know if T & R is still there, It was on I-5 and Willamette Highway. There was nothing but a large field between us and I-5 at the time and our view was unobstructed. The T&R truck stop sign was a beautiful multi-colored and multi-patterned display quite like the lighted business signs seen in Las Vegas. It took about an hour or so it seemed for the sign to be blown down. I remember watching it as it tilted more and more, then finally went out of our sight and to the ground.

We lived on an acre or so of land and had 6 apple trees in the front yard. We lost at least one tree. We also had some out buildings that were damaged. When I lived in Albany Waverly drive was a two lane 45 MPH road at the edge of town.

I'm retired from the Navy now and I live near Pensacola Florida. I'll always remember the Columbus Day windstorm of 1962, but it can't compare to the hurricanes that pass though this way. We're preparing ourselves and our property for Hurricane Ivan (Category 5)now.

David L. Columbus
submitted September 13,2004

 

I was just showing my 26 year old son the slides I have of the day after the storm. My dad worked for the PUD and was working in the storm, fixing trucks, so the linemen could get back out and fix broken lines, etc.

My mother and I stayed in the basement. God really took care of us as the only damage we had to our house (located @ 20th St. @ Grand Blvd.) was the garage door became dislocated and stood right next to the garage. And we lost a few shingles. It's still fascinating to look at our slides and remember just how bad that storm really was!

Janie (Foster) Sorensen
(formally from Vancouver, WA)
Spokane, WA
submitted September 12,2004

 

I was 9 years old on Columbus Day in 1962. I was at a neighbor's house which was across an unpaved "bumpy Road" as we called it and 3 houses down the street from my folks house in Northeast Portland where Mason Court and Skidmore met. I guess maybe it was the sudden noise from the wind.

My neighbors house had rather large windows facing west. I remember looking out in awe and puzzlement at all the debris flying through the air. I don't recall ever seeing anything like that before or since the storm. I was very scared at the sight but my only thought right then and there is that I wanted to go home!

My friends mom urged me to stay put but I was very stubborn and headstrong for my age and I insisted upon going home. I don't remember going out the door but I do remember running. I had to cross a corner of the property across the street where a muddy path had been worn. I remember the wind knocking me to the ground. I was so scared but without thinking I picked myself up ran home the remaining 3 house length of the block, went tearing in through the front doorway of my folk's house which faced south, once inside finding my mom was sleeping on the couch taking one of her afternoon naps.

She had been alone in the house until I got there. I started shaking her yelling at her "Mom!, Mom!, wakeup! We're having a windstorm!". She starting talking yet was still groggy from sleeping saying "It's OK honey, it's only a little wind" to which I started yelling at her again "No Mom! Wakeup! We're having a big windstorm!"

I finally got her to wakeup though she was still kind of half a sleep. I got her to get up and walk out to the kitchen. It was still light out as the storm hit right about 6 o'clock. Our kitchen windows faced North.

She finally woke up once she looked out the windows and saw shingles one after another flipping off the roofs of the houses on the next street behind, just flipping off into the air one after another adding to the debris already flying through the air. Her comment then was "Gee, I guess we are having a windstorm!"

I finally settled down as I felt safe, I was at home with my mom. We had no power. The lights went out the instant the storm hit. She started gathering up candles. We had a battery operated radio that we listened to as the governor declared a state of emergency and listened to other news about the storm though I don't really remember anything in particular.

My grandpa and one of our neighbors husband named Arnold spent most of the storm driving around checking on the neighborhood which at the time I really didn't realize just how dangerous that was with all the downed power lines and trees and large limbs from douglas firs blowing down. My dad was a truck driver and as luck would have it he was stuck somewhere down at the coast during the storm. My brother was stuck down at the neighborhood bowling alley.

Later when he was able to get home he related a story of a couple of stupid guys who went out and grabbed a large piece of sheet metal that apparently had landed near the bowling alley and thought it was neat to toss it up in the wind and watch it fly not realizing that it could have seriously hurt someone else or that they could have been seriously hurt or worse.

Every so often my grandpa stopped by and checked to make sure we were all doing OK. He related to us the story of rescuing his next door neighbor early in the evening. Their houses both face to the east. His next door neighbor went out on her porch when the wind had blown open her storm door. At the same time she grabbed the door to close it the wind blew both her and the door off the porch. My grandpa went over and picked her up off the ground and got her back inside her house. Luckily somehow she managed not to get hurt when she landed on the ground.

Some of our neighbors from the next block over came and stayed with us. They were pretty scared because of the way a large douglas fir tree was bending in the wind and might come down on their house plus the way the windows were flexing inward with each gust of wind they feared the windows being blown out. After it got dark... I think it was after 9 in the evening my mom insisted that I go to bed. I didn't want to but she insisted. She had me go to bed in her and dad's room probably because it was on the northwest corner of the house. It took me a really long time to get to sleep. I was scared being in a room by myself and we had a patio roof that was partially fiberglass and it made so much noise everytime the wind hit it plus the sound of the wind as it whipped along the side of the house. The sound was horrible!

I remember going out and walking around the neighborhood the next day and the streets were filled with downed power lines and trees. There were shingles everywhere as well as other debris. I don't know how my grandpa was able to get through the streets the night before. I recall later seeing reports about damage in the area. Later when my dad got back from his road trip I went with him when he had to go down to the shop for something. I don't remember what the time frame was between the day of the storm and the day I went with him. I just remember seeing every single telephone pole along Columbia Blvd. either the poles where totally knocked down or snapped off somewhere in the middle.

My husband and I at different times get into a discussion of the difference between hurricanes and typhoons. Being ex-Navy and having traveled much of the world he will tell you that typhoons are much worse than hurricanes. I don't know if that's true. However I do remember that The Columbus Day Storm in fact was the remnants of typhoon Freda that came over from the sea of Japan to hit Oregon and Washington with one hell of a whallup that late Friday afternoon on October 12th in 1962. I remember reporters comparing the windstorm the area had in December 1995 to The Columbus Day Storm. I can honestly say since I was here for the big grand daddy of all windstorms there was no comparison. In fact we're probably way overdue for another really big blow. With all the new development in the area I fear we would face much worse devastation than what was witnessed after The Columbus Day Storm.

 

Keri Teach
submitted September 5,2004

 

I have some vivid memories of the Columbus Day Storm. We lived in Wilsonville. I was four years old, my brother Dow was three, and my sister Clytie was a babe in arms.

Dow and I were playing outside, when I looked up into the skies and noticed the clouds were violently boiling. It was such an unusual sight, I stopped playing to watch them. There was a strange greenish golden light in the air, and the trees started to do a deep swinging swoosh (in one direction) swoosh (in the opposite direction).

Then Mom called to us, and my brother and I ran into the house with her. Our home had a huge glass window which covered one entire wall. The dining room was right next to the living room, the kitchen making an L from the dining room. We ran over to an oak Buffet which was on the same side as the big window, and right behind the dining room table.

My mother, brother, sister, the bird and I scooched in behind that oak buffet when the huge window broke into a million pieces. All that broken glass swooshed past us, breaking through the big kitchen window.

Mom decided it wasn't safe inside the house, so we all trouped outside into the middle of a field which was between my parent's and grandparent's homes. We watched as my Grandfather's big two story barn sagged to its knees, tons of hay piling into the air above it, until all that remained of the barn was its peaked roof. Then I turned to see the flat roof of our own home roll up like the top of a tuna can, and fly away.

It is strange, but I do not remember being frightened, though Mum says when we stood next to the oak buffet, she said to pray, and my brother and I dropped to our knees to do so. I don't remember that.

Ever since the Columbus Day Storm I have loved and enjoyed windstorms. And odd reaction to be sure. I enjoyed your website, Diane!

Beth (Gibson) Niquette
submitted September 4,2004

 

Read memories from people who experienced this terrific storm.

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