Does the Pacific Northwest really get severe weather?
Since 1950, Washington state has had more Presidentially declared weather-related disasters than anywhere else in the United States. Here are some examples: • Oct 12 1962: the Columbus Day Storm occurred. This storm was considered “the mother of all wind storms” in the Northwest during the 20th century. The storm claimed 46 lives and blew down 15 billion board feet of timber ($750 million worth in 1962 dollars) from northern California to British Columbia. The total property damage was $235 million. Recorded winds prior to power outages reached well over 100 MPH…. • Jan 20 1993: the Inauguration Day Storm claimed 5 lives and left 3/4 million homes and businesses without power. The total damage in western Washington was $130 million. Reported peak wind gusts in western Washington ranged from 60-90 MPH… • Dec 27-30 1996: up to 2 feet of snow from 2 storms fell in parts of the Puget Sound region, followed by heavy amounts of rain. Many roofs collapsed as a result of the snow loading,
