A Breakdown of Fatalaties from Pacific Northwest Windstorms by Wolf Read |
| It is a sad fact that windstorms sometimes kill people. Deaths result from a variety of situations. This analysis attempts to isolate the primary causes of death so that people caught in future windstorms can know how to reduce the risks. Falling trees and limbs are the major cause of death in windstorms, a good reason to seek shelter away from large trees during the big blows, and stay out of cars. Another cause of death is through electrocution, and this is a reminder that all downed wires should be avoided, even if they aren't showing any obvious signs of being juiced up. And avoid operating watercraft during windstorms, if possible, because drownings have also contributed significantly to the death toll in past storms. Flying debris, such as broken glass, are a very comming cause of injury during windstorms, which is why it is advisable not to head outside during a gale, nor stand too close to windows. Below is Table 1, which is a compilation some of the fatalaties for lethal storms in the Northwest. The figures list only those fatalaties for which a specific cause could be attributed to, so the totals may be low, as they are in the case of the October 12, 1962 storm, which took the lives of about 46 people. |
Windstorm |
Electro- |
Falling Trees |
Wind- |
Flying Debris |
Drowning: Sunk Boat, Flooded Home or Mudslide |
Falls |
Vehicle |
Heart Attack |
Other | Total |
Ref |
| 21OCT1934 |
2 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
1 |
| 22DEC1955 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
4 |
2 |
| 03NOV1958 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
4 |
3 |
| 11OCT1962 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
3 |
4 |
| 12OCT1962 |
3 |
13 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
|
7 |
|
31 |
5 |
| 02OCT1967 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
6 |
| 14NOV1981 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
4 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
12 |
7 |
| 16JAN1986 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
8 |
| 08JAN1990 |
|
1
|
|
|
3
|
|
1
|
|
|
5
|
15
|
| 20JAN1993 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
5 |
9 |
| 12DEC1995 |
|
4 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
7 |
10 |
| 15JAN1996 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
11 |
| 30MAR1997 |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
12 |
| 15DEC2002 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
13 |
| 27DEC2002 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
14 |
| 14DEC2006 |
1
|
3
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
1
|
6
|
16
|
| 03DEC2007 |
|
1
|
|
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
13
|
17
|
| Totals | 13 |
36 |
2 |
3 |
25 |
2 |
10 |
13 |
5 |
111 |
|
| % of Total | 11.7% |
32.4% |
1.8% |
2.7% |
22.5% |
1.8% |
9.0% |
11.7% |
4.5% |
References for Table 1 [1] Oregon City Enterprise, October 23, 1934, p. 1 and 6. Total fatalities was 18 as of the writing of the newspaper article. The other eight were from collapsing structures and falling trees, but specific numbers weren't given. I will be checking other newspapers for more details. According to the Monthly Weather Review, October 1934, the total fatalaties from this storm reached 22. [2] Taylor, George, "Oregon Weather Book." 1999. [3] Oregonian, Nov 4, 1958, Astorian-Budget, Nov 4, 1958. The Dalles Chronicle, Nov 5, 1958; hunter struck by tree, page 2. [4] Humboldt Times, October 12, 1962, front page. Tree falls on man at Snoqualmie, WA, and car crash in blinding rain kills 2 in Sonoma Co., CA. [5] Oregon city Enterprise-Courier, October 15, 1962, Page 12 desribing the 21 fatalaties in Oregon (out of 46 total in WA, OR, CA). Franklin, Dorothy. "West Coast Disaster." 1962. p.129: Added man killed by falling poplar in Vancouver, WA, and p. 8: Added two drownings in CA due to mudslides in the Oakland-Berkeley Hills. p. 15: Commercial fisherman lost overboard in Humboldt Bay. Huboldt Times, Oct 13, 1962: Two dead Humboldt Co, 2 others near Redding, all killed by falling trees; Oct 14, woman crushed at Smith River, AP article, man electrocuted in flooded basement. [6] Oregonian, Oct 3&4, 1967, Oregon Statesman Oct 3&4, 1967, Newport News Times, Oct 5, 1967. Five deaths during storms just ahead of the big wind: Two people died of exposure on Sep 30-Oct 1 in the Olympics, and three died in a yacht breakup Oct 1 off the mouth of the Columbia. [7] Oregonian, November 15, 1981, p. A1; November 16, 1981, p. B1; November 17, 1981, p. B1. In the Oregonian, there is some confusion of the total fatalaties attributed to these storms. If all those fatalaties detailed in the paper from various articles are taken at face value, and repeats ignored, then there were 5 fatalities in WA, 6 in OR, and 2 in CA, for a total of 13--the cause of one of the WA deaths was not reported, which is why the total in the table adds up to 12. The four drownings are all due to the sinking of boats--life preservers were not worn in at least two of the drowning cases. And some people were still missing from lost watercraft as of the 17th. [8] Taylor, George, "Oregon Weather Book." 1999. Probable wind-induced helicopter crash [9] NOAA Storm Event Archives, Event Record for Western Washington, Begin Date: 20 Jan 1993, 0430 PST, End Date: 11 Jan 1993, 1300 PST. [10] Oregonian, 13Dec1995, p. A1 and A10, reports on two deaths in Oregon, both from falling trees. Oregonian, 14Dec1995, pA1 and A11, adds two more deaths: one by fire from a candle lit becuase of a blackout ("Other" category), the person struck by a wind-blown cattle gate (put in "Flying Debris" category). Two deaths from falling trees reported in CA by the National Weather Service, Monterey. One death due to being hit by car (driver blinded by rain) in CA--Oakland Tribune, Dec 13, 1995. [11] National Climatic Data Center, Storm Events Archive, January 15, 1996. Severe thunderstorm winds along a strong cold front. Tree on trailer. [12] National Climatic Data Center, Storm Events Archive, March 30, 1997. [13] Oregonian, Dec 16, 2002. [14] Seatte Times, Oregonian, Dec 28, 2002. [15] National Climatic Data Center, Storm Data, January 1990. [16] National Climatic Data Center, Storm Events Archive, December 13-16, 2006. [17] Oregonian, December 6, 2007, "Death toll from storm in Oregon and Washington rises to 13". |
Notes for Table 1 Wind-Collapsed Structures are those buildings that have been damaged by the physical force of the wind, as opposed to damage by falling trees. Drowning during windstorms has most often been from the sinking of watercraft, but also includes deaths by mudslides, flooded homes, and vehicles that are swept away in flash floods. Vehicle Crash includes all vehicles, such as helicopters, airplanes, even trains, but most often involves cars and trucks. This category includes victims that are accidentally struck by vehicles due to storm-related activities and or incidents. Drivers killed when they crash into a tree that has fallen across the road are included in this category. Vehicles struck by falling trees with fatal results are excluded from this category as they are put into the "falling trees" tally. Heart Attacks can be difficult to attribute to a given storm, and therefore are sometimes ignored by the media. They're added here when mentioned in the sources. Other includes death by fire, which sometimes occur when candles are used during storm-related power outages. Also includes deaths caused by asphyxiation from the operation of generators indoors, and failure of medical equipment due to power outage. |
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Last Modified: February 5, 2008 | Back | |