On Oct. 12, 1962, the Columbus Day Storm killed dozens of people on the west coast, set rain records in two major California cities, closed the Seattle World's Fair early on the day of the storm, and caused at least $230 million in damage.
It was the Washington's worst weather disaster of the 20th century. That damage estimate is roughly $1.82 billion today.
"Hurricane force winds, reaching up to 121 miles an hour in some areas, steamrolled northward with devastating ferocity," the front page of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer read the following day. Below is video from Oregon. Patrons were evacuated from the Space Needle restaurant – Seattle’s most talked about restaurant at the time, which had been open for less than six months. Weather at Discovery Park in Magnolia hit 83 mph.