The Pacific Northwest has experienced many violent windstorms: The Columbus Day Storm, November 1981 Windstorm, Inaugural Day Storm, and most recently the Windstorm of 1995. These storms have damaged homes, businesses, public utilities, and left thousands without power for several days.
Hurricanes striking the Pacific Coast are a rarity, but circumstances combined to create a near hurricane like the
Columbus Day Storm in October 1962 that hit northern California, Oregon, and Washington. This storm is often referred to as hurricane Freida. Although this storm hit during the Pacific hurricane season, it was not a true hurricane (or typhoon as tropical hurricane's in the West Pacific are called).