Washington, 1997

High Wind in Washington, October 9, 1997

October 9, 1997 · NWS SEW · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Peak sustained winds were 40 mph on Whidbey Island. Oak Harbor had winds gusting to near 60 mph.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.

Peak sustained winds were 40 mph on Whidbey Island. Oak Harbor had winds gusting to near 60 mph. About 5000 customers in Western Washington lost power at some time during the day. There were a few reports of trees down and blocking roadways.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Island/Ne Jefferson

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Island/Ne Jefferson forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, Ne Clallam

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Ne Clallam forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, S Clallam T X Sw/C Jefferson/Nw Mason/Ne Grays Harbor

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
S Clallam T X Sw/C Jefferson/Nw Mason/Ne Grays Harbor forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, San Juan

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
San Juan forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates
48.531, -123.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sw Snohomish

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Sw Snohomish forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, Thurston T X Se/Sw Mason/C&se Grays Harbor

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Thurston T X Se/Sw Mason/C&se Grays Harbor forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, W King/X Se Kitsap

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
W King/X Se Kitsap forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, W Pierce

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
W Pierce forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, W Skagit/Nw Snohomish

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
W Skagit/Nw Snohomish forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

High Wind, Western Whatcom

When
October 9, 1:00 PM PST to 7:00 PM PST
Where
Western Whatcom forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, October 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5616497, 5616906, 5616907, 5616908, 5616909, 5617191, 5617192, 5617193, 5617194, 5617195, 5617196.