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The incredible power of hurricane-force winds: Why is this storm shocking Washington and Oregon?
The Great Coastal Storm of December 2007 was made up of three powerful Pacific storms that affected the states of Oregon and Washington in the United States from December 1 to December 4, and even extended into the Canadian lowlands. Poetry province. The storm produced extremely long-lasting wind events on December 2 and 3, with winds reaching 137 mph (220 kph) in Holy Cross, Washington, and 129 mph in Bay City, Oregon. miles per hour (208 kilometers per hour). The storm also brought heavy rain, causing record flooding across the region and is blamed for killing at least 18 people.
"The intensity of this storm reminded meteorologists of the Great Storm of 1880."
Weather summary
On November 29, 2007, a strong low-pressure system formed in the Central Pacific under the remnants of Typhoons Mitag and Hagibis, and reached the northwest Pacific through tropical storm belts. In anticipation of the storm, the National Weather Service issued its first hurricane-force wind warning for the Oregon coast.
The first of three storms hit on December 1, bringing with it cold air that dropped up to 14 inches (360 mm) of snow in many areas of Washington state. With the arrival of the second storm on December 2, the rainfall brought not only storage but also cold temperatures, prompting more snow to accumulate. At 5:30 in the evening, the snowfall began to decrease and turned into light rainfall. The storm quickly brought temperatures from near freezing to over 60 degrees Fahrenheit, along with the first heavy rains. As the storm moved north, it brought heavy rainfall, with Bremerton, Washington receiving 10.78 inches (274 millimeters) of rain in 24 hours.
Impact
The storm caused massive power outages across the region, with 75,000 customers losing power in Washington state and 36,000 households in Oregon. Power was not restored in many areas for days. Nearly all residents in Pacific and Grays Harbor were without power due to high winds, complicating rescue efforts. Flooding caused by heavy rains inundated streets and lanes, and the I-5 interstate connecting the north and south was closed for several days due to the overflowing Chehalis River.
"Loss from the storm could exceed a billion dollars."
Disaster in Oregon
In Oregon, flooding and landslides from the Nehalem River completely cut off the city of Vernonia, requiring some residents to be evacuated by the Oregon National Guard. Land and cellphone communications along the Oregon coast were down for days after the storm, and damaged cables limited emergency communications. The fallout is reminiscent of October's Columbus Day storm and the 1996 Willamette Valley floods.
Washington State’s Challenges
Washington State faced a greater challenge, with the Coast Guard using helicopters to evacuate more than 300 residents. The threat of blocked roads, raging flooding and landslides prompted the governor of Washington state to declare a state of emergency. Many local governments also declared a state of emergency and issued evacuation orders.
The Impact of British Columbia
In the northern province of British Columbia, five people were killed due to heavy snowfall, thousands of homes and businesses lost power, severe rainfall and snowmelt caused widespread flooding, and even the Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver was damaged by mudslides . This series of disasters not only severely damaged the local transportation and communication systems, but also caused the government to face huge repair costs.
This storm is undoubtedly one of the most destructive storms in the history of the North American Pacific Northwest. So many natural disasters make people think about how we should take preventive measures in the face of a future with increasing climate change. What about similar disasters that may occur in the future?
