This web page broadly identifies and describes the windstorm hazard that Oregon faces. It also highlights previous plans, assessment tools, and resources that have been developed to identify, profile, and assess the vulnerability and risk from windstorm events in Oregon.

The most frequent surface winds in Oregon are from the southwest. Windstorms are often associated with storms moving onto the coast from the Pacific Ocean. Other common events include Chinook winds, which are strong easterly winds coming out of the Columbia Gorge. The Chinook wind is a warm dry wind that often leads to the rapid disappearance of snow, and can gust up to 100 miles per hour. West winds generated from the Pacific Ocean can be strong along the coast, but typically lose strength inland due to the obstruction of the Coastal and Cascade mountain ranges.

It is not uncommon for Oregon to experience several windstorms during the winter months. The Oregon Coast has several relatively harsh storms during the winter months. Although major damage from these storms is infrequent, the Oregon Coast Region of the state is the most vulnerable to windstorms. The seven coastal counties in the Oregon Coast Region often face 60 to 100 mile an hour winds sometime during the year. While the coast is experiencing severe winds, the Willamette Valley may also face 40 to 60 mile per hour winds from the same storm. Also, the Columbia River Gorge funnels very strong winds, often from east to west. The Northern Willamette Valley/Portland Metro and Mid-Columbia Regions are most vulnerable to this type of wind event.

Major windstorms that can impact large areas of the state, like the Columbus Day windstorm of 1962, are relatively rare. These storms can cause major damage to many areas of the state with the Oregon coastal counties typically suffering the most damage from this type of hazardous event.

Back to index