Science Pub Corvallis

"The Columbus Day Storm of 1962"

When the remnants of a Pacific typhoon approached the West Coast of North America in October 1962, it had already weakened. But what followed was a series of events — cold air flowed from the Gulf of Alaska and met warm moist air from the subtropics — that regenerated rotation around the low-pressure center and created one of the most violent storms since records had been kept in Oregon.

Top wind speeds in the mid-Willamette Valley are a matter of some speculation. The anemometer at the Corvallis Airport broke when it recorded a gust of 127 miles per hour. It’s likely that gusts reached higher speeds in what was a nationally significant storm.

Kathie Dello warns that it may happen again. The deputy director of the Oregon Climate Service provides weather and climate data as well as knowledge for the state. She will describe the series of events leading to the storm, the consequences for the Oregon coast and Willamette Valley and what efforts are underway to anticipate future severe weather events and ensure that Oregonians are prepared.