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Nature

A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Oregon In 1962 And No One Saw It Coming

Published Dec 24, 2016

Written by 

Tessa Metcalf

On October 12th, 1962, a huge windstorm swept through the Pacific Northwest, hitting southwestern Canada and northern California as well. It is known as the Columbus Day Storm of 1962, and was one of the most disastrous storms to hit Oregon since the 1880s.

The storm began as a cyclone over the Pacific Ocean, and when it reached the coast the relentless winds tore through the area, collapsing houses, knocking down trees, and more. Sadly, hundreds of people were injured, and 46 people lost their lives.

The Willamette Valley was hit especially hard. Here's a photo of a collapsed house in Newberg.

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wiki/ National Weather Service, Portland

Find out more and check out the historic footage in this video by Stuart Tomlinson:

youtube embeded image

Learn out about other disasters in Oregon's history here.

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