A Pacific storm brought strong winds and rough seas to the coastline and adjacent waters. Two fishermen were believed lost to the sea when they could not be found after going missing during a fishing trip.
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.
The episode as NWS PQR wrote it up.
A Pacific storm brought strong winds and rough seas to the coastline and adjacent waters. Two fishermen were believed lost to the sea when they could not be found after going missing during a fishing trip.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 18, 2:27 PM PST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 227 PM PST WED NOV 18 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF STRONG WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE FIRST OF THESE STORMS IS CURRENTLY APPROACHING THE COAST BRINGING VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO THE COASTAL AREAS THIS EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT. THE NEXT SYSTEM ON THU WILL ALSO INCREASE WINDS ALONG THE COAST AND PERHAPS BE THE STRONGER OF THE TWO. IN ADDITION TO THE WINDS...HEAVY RAINS MAY ALSO POSE A PROBLEM FOR THE COAST AND COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON...THE WILLAPA HILLS AND CASCADE FOOTHILLS OF SOUTH WASHINGTON. ANOTHER STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY. && .SHORT TERM...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CENTERED NEAR 51N 135W. THE ASSOCIATED PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM ARCS FROM THE LOW THROUGH 46N 132W AND SOUTHWEST. THIS IS THE FIRST OF TWO IN A SERIES OF STORMS THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC...BRINGING HIGH WINDS TO THE COAST AND HEAVY RAINS TO THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH OREGON COAST AND COASTAL MOUNTAIN ZONES. THE COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE AT THE COAST THIS EVENING. WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO INCREASE AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THIS EVENING AS A LOW LEVEL JET OF 70-80 KT MOVES OVER THE COAST. WINDS WILL NOT BE QUITE AS STRONG AS THEY WERE WITH THE LAST FRONT BUT STILL EXPECT TO SEE GUSTS TO 70 MPH ALONG THE BEACHES AND HEADLANDS AND WILL CONTINUE THE HIGH WIND WARNING. WINDS WILL DECREASE BRIEFLY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY THU MORNING...BUT ANOTHER DISTURBANCE MOVING BY ON THU WILL INCREASE SOUTHERLY WINDS ONCE AGAIN. THE SECOND SYSTEM LOOKS STRONGER WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR COASTAL GUSTS IN THE 80 MPH RANGE ON THU. HAVE EXTENDED THE HIGH WIND WARNING TO INCLUDE BOTH WIND EVENTS. THE PRECISE LOCATION WHERE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY STALLS IS GOING TO MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE FLOODING POTENTIAL WITH THIS EVENT AND IS STILL UNCERTAIN. LATEST MODELS KEEP HEAVIEST PRECIP OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON AND JUST CLIP THE NW CORNER OF OREGON. IF THIS SOLUTION VERIFIES...SOME LOCATIONS ALONG THE FAR NORTH OREGON AND SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST MAY SEE AS MUCH AS 6 INCHES OF PRECIP BETWEEN THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON. WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AREA BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT. LIKENS .LONG TERM...THE ACTIVE PATTERN OVER THE NORTH PACIFIC BEGINS TO WIND DOWN DURING THE EXTENDED. HOWEVER...STILL A COUPLE MORE SYSTEMS TO GO THROUGH. THE FIRST SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A STRONG WARM FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE AREA. THE OPERATIONAL GFS IS STRONGEST BRINGING A LOW TO OFF THE WASHINGTON COAST. ECMWF IS WEAKER...AS IS THE ENSEMBLE GFS. RIGHT NOW IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A HIGH WIND EVENT. NEXT SYSTEM...ARRIVES MONDAY BUT IS WEAKER AND TRACKS FURTHER TO THE NORTH. BOTH THESE SYSTEMS ARE PROGRESSIVE SO DO NOT EXPECT PROLONGED PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION. AFTER THAT...CURRENT GFS AND ECMWF MODEL TRENDS INDICATING RIDGING ON TUE AND WED. GFS ENSEMBLES HAVE ENOUGH SPREAD THAT THE AREA STILL COULD BE OPEN TO SOME PRECIPITATION. HAVE LOWERED POPS A LITTLE BUT KEPT THEM NEAR CLIMATOLOGY. && .AVIATION...CONDITIONS MOSTLY VFR THIS AFTERNOON. MVFR CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP ON THE COAST LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT AS FRONTAL RAIN MOVES IN...CONTINUING MOST OF THURSDAY. EXPECT VERY STRONG COASTAL WINDS TONIGHT AND THURSDAY AS WELL. MAY SEE SOME AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN EDGE INLAND THIS EVENING ESPECIALLY NORTH...INCREASE SOME AND SPREAD DOWN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AFTER MIDNIGHT. CONDITIONS LOCALLY MIGHT APPROACH MVFR. BREEZY CONDITIONS IN THE VALLEYS THROUGH THURSDAY WITH GUSTS TO 25 OR 30 KT POSSIBLE AT TIMES. KPDX AND APPROACHES...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING. MAY SEE SOME AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN DEVELOP THIS EVENING...THEN INCREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY WITH SOME LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE. BREEZY CONDITIONS AT TIMES WITH SOUTH TO EAST WINDS GUSTING TO 25 OR 30 KT AT TIMES. TOLLESON && .MARINE...STRONG GALE FORCE WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND ARE APPROACHING STORM FORCE AS THE FIRST SYSTEM DEEPENS AND SWINGS INTO B.C. AND THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE WINDS WILL EASE BACK DOWN A BIT INTO GALE CATEGORY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY BEFORE THE NEXT STRONG SYSTEM SWINGS NORTH OFF THE COAST THURSDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING...CROSSING 130W AND INTO NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND. THIS WILL PRODUCE MORE STORM FORCE WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. A SECONDARY LOW WILL THEN FOLLOW ON FRIDAY AND WILL EITHER PRODUCE HIGH END SMALL CRAFT WINDS OR POSSIBLY GALE FORCE WINDS AS IT SWINGS ONSHORE ALONG THE WASHINGTON COAST. BRISK NORTHWEST WINDS FRIDAY NIGHT WILL EAST BY SATURDAY MORNING...BUT ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT GALE IS POSSIBLE WITH THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM LATER SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 20 TO 25 FT OR SO TONIGHT...EASE A BIT EARLY THURSDAY BEFORE BUILDING AGAIN TO 25 TO 28 FT THURSDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING. WE COULD SEE SOME TIDAL OVERFLOW ALONG THE SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST THURSDAY AROUND THE 2 PM HIGH TIDE FROM A COMBINATION OF THE STORM SURGE AND THE INCREASING RIVER RUNOFF. TOLLESON && .PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA/OR...STORM WARNING ALL WATERS MIDDAY TODAY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA BAR THROUGH THURSDAY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH OREGON COAST TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL OREGON COAST LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FOR MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOW ON SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST 10 AM UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE COAST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. FLOOD WATCH FOR SOUTHWEST WA/NORTHWEST OREGON MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON && MORE WEATHER INFORMATION ONLINE AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FROM THE CASCADE CREST TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. THE AREA IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE FORECAST AREA.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 558 AM PST WED NOV 18 2009 ORZ001-002-WAZ021-191400- NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST- 558 AM PST WED NOV 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT HIGH WIND WARNING THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH ALONG BEACHES AND HEADLANDS. HIGH SURF ADVISORY THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HIGH WIND WATCH FOR GUSTS TO 80 MPH THURSDAY...ADDITIONAL STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING PERIODS OF HIGH WINDS TO THE COAST AGAIN FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. HIGH SURF ADVISORY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ORZ003>014-WAZ019-020-022-023-039-040-191400- COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON- CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA- GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY- SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE- NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES- CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY-CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY- UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY-SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES-WILLAPA HILLS-I- 5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA- SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS- 558 AM PST WED NOV 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WINDY AND RAINY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OFF AND ON THROUGH THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PZZ250-255-270-275-191400- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 10 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR OUT 10 NM- WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM-WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM- 558 AM PST WED NOV 18 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR WINDS GUSTING TO 55 KNOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY STORM WARNINGS MAY BE NECESSARY FOR THE STRONG FRONT ON THURSDAY AND FOR SUBSEQUENT SYSTEMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
2 high wind, 1 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds were reported at Clatsop Spit, where sustained winds were reported at 35-43 kt. Other reports include: a peak wind gust of 56 kt at Garibaldi, and a peak wind gust of 50 kt in Warrenton.
Two fishermen were reported missing late Wednesday night when they did not return from a fishing trip. Coast Guard searched for the men both on land and sea, but the search was called of late Thursday. Both high winds and rough seas were occurring at the time due to an incoming storm.
Strong winds were reported by a spotter in Waldport, where trees were also reported down due to strong winds and blocking both Oregon Hwy. 34 and US Hwy. 101. Cape Foulweather also reported a peak wind gust of 58 kt.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Surf, Central Oregon Coast | 2009-11-18 | 62 | Male | In Water | Direct |
| High Surf, Central Oregon Coast | 2009-11-18 | 23 | Male | In Water | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, November 2009
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: 203883, 203913, 203885.