Western Washington has suffered through big blows before and after the Columbus Day Storm of 1962. They include:
Oct. 21, 1934: Wind gusts of up to 84 mph recorded in Tacoma.
Nov. 7, 1940: High winds and bad design cause the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, otherwise known as “Galloping Gertie.”
Nov. 3, 1958: Winds gusts up to 80 mph hit Hoquiam.
Feb. 13, 1979: High winds up to 80 mph cause the western half of the Hood Canal Bridge to sink.
Nov. 24, 1983: The Thanksgiving Day Storm, with gusts up to 62 mph, causes extensive power outages, forcing families to finish half-baked turkeys on barbecue grills.
Nov. 25, 1990: High winds and human error lead to the sinking of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge.
Jan. 20, 1993: Inaugural Day Storm with winds up to 94 mph and freezing temperatures hits Western Washington, killing six people and causing extensive power outages.
March 12-13, 1993: The so-called “Storm of the Century” had gusts up to 85 mph and heavy snows, but still pales next to the Columbus Day Storm.
Dec. 12, 1995: Wind gusts up to 86 mph reported in Mukilteo.
2006-2008: A number of storms during a two-year period included gale-force winds, but nothing comparable to Oct. 12, 1962.
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