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Columbus Day Storm 1962

By
Industry Observer with ARFCO Media

I’m getting hit with all this 50 year anniversary stuff lately. I think I need to buy lotto tickets and use some of these dates as numbers to play. Today is the day after that famous Columbus Day Storm of 1962, so sorry, I know, old news. I was 12 years old then and I still remember quite a lot about that day.

It was a Friday. I remember being in the backyard watching the trees sway back and forth listening to the wind howl. We were fortunate and a little protected because our home was towards the bottom of the hill in Earlington, yet our garage got hit pretty hard and so did the back fence and a few trees. Fortunately, the damage in our neighborhood was minimal.

Smiley face

The plan was to go to the Renton High School Football game that night, but that didn't happen. The winds grew worse and all across town the power was going out. It was quite eerie hearing the trees cracking and branches braking off in the wind. All kinds of debris flew flew through the air then the light pole transformers started popping real loud and throwing fountains of sparks before all was dark.

Yesterday I was scouring the web for images and found this video on YouTube. Ironically I've been having fun playing with 8mm Vintage Camera, an app for my iPhone 4s to make your videos look retro. Here's the real deal...

Film courtesy of Ron Fulham on YouTube. This original 8mm movie was taken by his mom and dad in McMinnville, Oregon.

Surreal is an understatement. We had a fireplace but didn't dare light a fire. The downdrafts were so strong we had to close the chimney flue. We gathered in the front room and sat huddled around the candles listening to the tremendous roar just outside. I wasn't aware until years later that the entire coast was hard hit from California to British Columbia.

Over the weekend we ventured out to check on Grandma and Grandpa and friends and neighbors. There was a lot of damage around Renton. Trees were down everywhere and so were many power lines. Several homes and buildings had their roofs nearly or totally blown off, windows were broken, and the football stadium took some hard blows and lost a big section of its over hang.

Fifty years later on this Columbus Day we had no storm. After 86 mostly warm and sunny days we finally had rain. As one who was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, it was sure welcome!

Posted by

René Fabre

"Where there's conversation, there's opportunity."

Please Note - The views expressed herein reflect only the individual’s personal views and are not the views of the author’s employer.

The Blackberry Chronicles, a blog by Rene Fabre and his travels around the Greater Pacific Northwest and beyond. Connect w/ Rene Fabre on Google+. Rene Fabre on Twitter. Rene Fabre writes reviews on Yelp. Rene Fabre on Linkedin.com The Audiorium YouTube Channel by Rene Fabre. Facebook.com/renefabre Rene Fabre loves digital photography and here are his shares on Flickr. Rene Fabre is a musician and composer and shares some of his orginal music and recordings on Soundcloud. Rene Fabre shares his interests on Pinterest.

Comments (9)

Courtney Cooper
Cooper Jacobs - Seattle, WA
206-850-8841
wow - seem slike some pretty vivid memories - i love the image of Elvis!!! Thanks for the history. I had no idea!
Oct 13, 2012 07:42 AM
Rene Fabre
ARFCO Media - Renton, WA
Practicing Philosophical Eclectic of the Arts

Hi Courtney: Yes, Elvis was here filming "It Happened at the Worlds Fair" from September 4th through the 17th (if I have my dates right). He then headed back to Hollywood to finish shooting the rest of it on the lots with the backgrounds mocked up. 

Oct 13, 2012 09:35 AM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Rene, Bad storms have a way of staying in our memory. That was a very deadly storm.

Oct 13, 2012 11:32 AM
Richard Weisser
Richard Weisser Realty - Newnan, GA
Richard Weisser Retired Real Estate Professional

René...

When I first glance at the title of your post, I thought that it said "1492 Columbus Day Storm," which doesn't make sense because even if Columbus encountered such an epic storm in 1492, he wouldn't have a day named for him yet!!!

 

 

Oct 13, 2012 11:57 AM
Margaret Oscilia
Creative Concepts-Home Staging and Contracting, Salem Oregon - Salem, OR
Home Stager, Salem Oregon

I remember that day too.  I lived in Portland and was 4 and our home lost several trees.  Glad this year we had such a beautiful day to enjoy instead!

 

Oct 13, 2012 11:43 PM
Rene Fabre
ARFCO Media - Renton, WA
Practicing Philosophical Eclectic of the Arts

Debbie: I was oblivious to how big it was. But as a 12 year old back then we weren't exactly globally connected yet.

Richard: That's funny, or Columbus takes America by storm, not!

Margaret: Yes, very nice weather indeed this year!

Oct 14, 2012 03:18 AM
Scott Cowan
RE/MAX Professionals - Olympia, WA

Rene-

 

Glad I sat that one out!  I'm not sure I could handle that big of a storm sitting at my home. I have over 2 dozen large Doug Firs on my property. Any one which could wipe out the house if decided to fall during a storm of that strength.

Oct 14, 2012 04:12 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thanks for sharing a bit of local history with us.

Have an outstanding week.

Oct 14, 2012 08:14 AM
Rene Fabre
ARFCO Media - Renton, WA
Practicing Philosophical Eclectic of the Arts

Scott: We had a big ole' Weeping Willow out back and a tall cedar, and a huge blue spruce. Fortunately none came down but the Willow lost a few big branches.

Roy: And thanks for stopping by! Funny when I was thinking back about it we were on a party line at the time. The only technology that connected to the world was that phone and the television and we only got 3 channels (most of the time)...

Oct 17, 2012 04:22 AM