1972 Portland–Vancouver tornado

The 1972 Portland–Vancouver Tornado was a deadly F3 tornado that struck Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, on Wednesday, April 5, 1972. The tornado tracked 8.7 miles across the heavily populated Portland metropolitan area, causing heavy damage, killing six people, and injuring 300 while causing $3–5 million (1972 USD) in damage. It was the deadliest tornado in the United States in 1972 and remains the deadliest tornado in the history of the Pacific Northwest.[1][2] It was the first F3 tornado to strike Oregon since June 3, 1894, and was part of an outbreak of four strong tornadoes that struck Oregon and Washington that day.

1972 Portland–Vancouver Tornado
F3 tornado
FormedApril 5, 1972
Max. rating1F3 tornado
Damage$3–5 million (1972 USD)
Casualties6 fatalities, 300 injuries
Areas affectedNorthern Oregon, Southern Washington
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

Storm history

The National Weather Service tracked a very turbulent squall line of thunderstorms moving northeasterly across Portland, Oregon, the strongest of which was near the city of Tigard. The tornado formed from this storm and touched down near the edge of the Columbia River, moving 1½ miles before crossing the river. The tornado was difficult to observe because of the fog and the mud and flying debris drawn up by the tornado. After making landfall on the Washington side of the river, it continued its 9-mile (14 km) journey before dissipating.[2] The storm was classed as a tornado by the National Weather Service on April 6.[3]

Impact

Vancouver

Vancouver suffered the most significant damage from the tornado. The tornado struck east Vancouver at 12:51 p.m. (PST) on April 5, 1972, where it destroyed a grocery store, along with Peter S. Ogden Elementary School injuring 70 students.[4] Nearby, the storm demolished a bowling alley, a drive-in theater screen and damaged around 100 homes, some severely. Trees and power lines were downed and several vehicles were flipped as well.[5] The Oregon National Guard and the Oregon State Police crossed the state border to help transport the injured and direct traffic in the aftermath of the tornado.[6]

Portland

In Portland, the tornado damaged four boat moorings and 50 small boats. Damage in Oregon from the tornado totaled up to $250,000 (1972 USD).[2][7]

Non-tornadic events

High winds brought by the thunderstorms caused minimal tree damage. In Tigard, the thunderstorm that spawned the tornado tore the roof off a warehouse and damaged several parked cars. A pressure jump of 0.12 inches (3.0 mm) was recorded by the National Weather Service. The Portland, Oregon National Weather Service office, approximately one mile east of the tornado touchdown, recorded winds gusting up to 63 mph (101 km/h). Another weather station reported sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h).[2]

Aftermath

Overall, the tornado killed six people and left $3–5 million (1972 USD) in damage.[1] Two F2 tornadoes and another F3 twister touched down in Hartline, Kettle Falls and Creston, Washington later that day, injuring one person, though there were no fatalities.[8][9] The small outbreak was the deadliest and most significant tornado event to occur in the Pacific Northwest, with winds of up to 206 miles per hour (332 km/h).[10]

See also

References
  1. ""Tornado of April 5, 1972, Vancouver, Washington" Details". Waymark. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  2. National Weather Service (2006). "NWS Oregon Tornadoes". NOAA. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  3. Spiro, Richard (April 7, 1972). "Vancouver twister classified tornado by weather bureau". Longview Daily News. Longview, WA. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Columbian.com - History". Archived from the original on March 7, 2007.
  5. NBC Evening News (1972). "Headline: Washington Tornado". Vanderbilt Television Archive. Archived from the original on 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  6. "6 Die, 250 Hurt as Wind Rips Roofs Off School, Stores". The Muncie Star. Muncie, IN. UPI. April 6, 1972. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. NCDC (1972). "Oregon Event Report 141987". NOAA. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  8. "Tornado History Project: Maps and Statistics". www.tornadohistoryproject.com.
  9. "Tornado History Project: 19720405.53.3". www.tornadohistoryproject.com.
  10. Robinson, Erik (April 5, 2002). "Vancouver's tornado of 1972: What a twister turned deadly". The Columbian. p. A1.
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