12 Oct 2011 - 1962 Columbus Day Storm - Centralia Wa.

49 years ago today, I was working at the LeDuc gas station in the 500 block of North Tower Ave, Centralia, Wa when we had a Hurricane force storm. I was the only person working that afternoon and we were one of only a few gas stations open for 100's of miles. I was busy pumping gas, selling kerosene fuel, and fixing flat tires.

I remember standing outside when the wind really picked up and was concerned that the glass in the station would just explode.

The Lewis and Clark State Park , 20 miles south of Centralia, had a unique stand of old-growth forest, primarily Douglas fir and red cedar. It is one of the last old-growth forest stands remaining along Hwy. 99. Two-thirds of the old-growth trees were blown down in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm (8.5 million board feet of the original 13.5 million). The park was closed for three years to make repairs and plant tree.




The following morning the sky was blue and the only sound you could hear was chainsaws cutting up down trees.