snow), Northern CA, OR, WA — 12

lornajarrettblanchard October 25, 1950

–12 AP. “Third Storm Moving Toward Pacific Coast.” Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, TX, 10-29-1950, p. 1.

— 7 (Direct; flooding, high wind.) Read. “The Double Windstorms of October 26-27, 1950.”

California (1)

–1 Oakland, Oct 25. Electrocution, rain-caused short circuit. Crane operator, Moore Dry dock.[1]

Oregon (7)

–7 Smith. “The Intense Pacific Coast Storms of October 26-28, 1950.” MWR, Oct 1950, p. 191.[2]

Narrative Information

Smith: “On October 25, the cyclone that became the first of two destructive storms to affect northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho began developing 850 miles west of Portland, Oreg. The strong winds and heavy rainfall that preceded and accompanied the subsequent frontal passages caused widespread damage. All sections of Washington suffered structural damage. The strong winds, with gusts as high as 75 m. p. h., took their usual toll of trees uprooted, power lines downed, and crops damaged…. Losses caused by wind and rain were estimated at $2,000,000 in Oregon….

“Flooding of most streams in western Oregon resulted from the heavy rains. The most serious damage occurred in the Eugene area on the Willamette River, in Douglas County on the Umpqua River and tributaries, in the Grants Pass to Medford area on the Rogue River, and at Myrtle Point and surrounding areas on the Coquille River. The American National Red Cross helped evacuate

more than 2,000 families in Oregon and reported several towns isolated for days. Seven persons lost their lives as a result of the floods and strong winds.

“In California the Eel and Smith Rivers flooded. The Eel River flood, at a stage of 21 feet, was the first on record for so early in the season….” [p. 191] (Smith, Clarence D., Jr. “The Intense Pacific Coast Storms of October 26-28, 1950.” Monthly Weather Review, Oct 1950, p. 191-195.)

Newspapers

Oct 26: “A ‘severe’ new storm with gale winds as high as 65 miles an hour bore down on the Northern California coast today in the wake of the season’s first ‘million dollar rain.’ The Weather Bureau said the storm early today was west of Eureka and predicted it would bring winds of 65 miles an hour north of Cape Mendocino, 50 miles in the San Francisco Bay region and 40 miles south to Monterrey. Earlier, the Bureau had ordered southeast storm warnings from Cape Blanco, Ore., to Monterey and small craft warnings from Monterey to Point Conception.

“Yesterday’s downpour, from a storm that passed over Washington and Oregon, set several records in San Francisco. Up to midnight, 1.12 inches of rainfall had been recorded at San Francisco airport and rain was still falling.

“Forecasts at the Oakland airport were for winds of 40 to 55 miles per hour velocity this afternoon…the airport recorded a steady blow of 30 miles per hour, with gusts to 36 miles per hour. Between the hours of 2 to 4 p.m. wind velocity is expected to rise to a steady 35 with gusts to 55 miles per hour from a south by south-easterly direction….

“Alameda Naval Air station has grounded all training flights, and the CAA has announced that commercial flights will be grounded if wind velocity rises to 55 miles per hour….

“Rains yesterday measured .96 inches in this area, the heaviest on record for Oct. 25….The downpour caused flooded sewers, broken water mains, sparking wires on power poles with resulting power failures and a hopeless traffic snarl in downtown San Francisco….

“Five inches of snow fell in the high sierras and the weatherman said there would be more snow today at higher elevations with ‘gale winds in the passes.’

“Sacramento (UP) — The Highway Patrol warned today that chains were required for motorists traveling over Donner Summit where the first snow of the season has fallen. The patrol said chains were required from Kingvale to the east end of Donner lake. Chains were also required on Highway 50 between Twin bridges and Meyers grade.” (United Press. “Gale Here With Winter Storm.” Daily Review, Hayward, CA. 10-26-1950, p. 1.)

Oct 26: “Seattle (U.P.) — Full gale warnings were hoisted along the north Pacific seaboard at 8 a.m. today as winds up to 60 miles an hour battered the Pacific northwest for the second straight day. The weather bureau said full gale warnings were ordered up from Tatoosh Island, Wash., to Cape Blanco, Ore., including the mouth of the Columbia river. At the same time storm warnings were raised in the strait of Juan De Fuca and inland waters of Washington….” (Daily Review, Hayward, CA. “Northwest Battered Second Day,” 10-26-1950, p. 1.)

Oct 29: “Portland, Ore. (AP) A gale-driven storm, with another right behind it, whipped across the Pacific northwest toward the Rockies Saturday [Oct 28] and stranded 150 football fans 12 hours in a violent Cascade snow squall. The U.S. Weather bureau reported that the fourth storm since Thursday was forming off the coast and will strike Oregon, Washington and northern California some time Sunday [Oct 29].

Buses Stalled

“Three buses returning from Ashland to Prineville, Ore., with high school fans and school ‘booster girls’ late Friday night hit a heavy snowfall — almost blizzard intensity — near Crater lake in the high Cascade mountains. Snow plows and Oregon state police gouged through 16 inches of new snow to free the buses and 25 private automobiles stalled along the Diamond lake cutoff.

12 Lives Lost

“Twelve persons already had died or were missing directly or indirectly as a result of the whole gale weather fronts that have raked a 1,000-mile area of the Pacific slope since Thursday [Oct 26]. High winds ranging up to 66 miles per hour dealt another damaging blow Saturday to communications, highways, property and crops throughout the northwest. Heavy rains dumped more than two inches of rain in several mountain sections, raising the threat of autumn floods in the Willamette valley.

“A new storm — the third since Thursday — was moving in fast from the north Pacific and was expected to hit the coast Saturday with slightly decreased wind velocity.” (AP. “Third Storm Moving Toward Pacific Coast…” Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, TX, 10-29-1950, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Third Storm Moving Toward Pacific Coast. Wind, Rain and Snow Spread Destruction; Twelve Lives Lost.” Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, TX, 10-29-1950, p. 1. Accessed 12-27-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/valley-morning-star-oct-29-1950-p-1/

Daily Review, Hayward, CA. “Gale Here With Winter Storm.” 10-26-1950, p. 1. Accessed 12-28-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-review-oct-26-1950-p-1/

Read, Wolf. “The Double Windstorms of October 26-27, 1950.” 5-30-2003 modification. Accessed 12-28-2017 at: http://www.climate.washington.edu/stormking/October1950.html

Smith, Clarence D., Jr. “The Intense Pacific Coast Storms of October 26-28, 1950.” Monthly Weather Review, Oct 1950, pp. 191-195. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1951. Accessed 12-28-2017 at: ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/docs.lib/htdocs/rescue/mwr/078/mwr-078-10-0191.pdf

United Press. “Northwest Battered Second Day,” Daily Review, Hayward, CA, 10-26-1950, p. 1. Accessed 12-28-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-review-oct-26-1950-p-1/

[1] Daily Review, Hayward, CA. “Gale Here With Winter Storm.” 10-256-1950, p. 1. Victim identified by police as Edward F. Gary, 57.

[2] Direct losses “as a result of the floods and strong winds.”