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Storm, Trees Damage Oregon Coast But Create Interesting Show

Tree downed on 2nd Ave. in Seaside, blocking the road to the Seaside Aquarium (photo: Tiffany Boothe, Seaside Aquarium

(Oregon Coast) – Big waves and even bigger winds smacked the Oregon coast Monday, causing locals to gleefully declare it was the first big storm of the season.

Wind gusts of up to 92 mph were reported at Cape Meares, on the northern coast, while Garibaldi recorded a gust in the 80’s, as did Ecola Point in Cannon Beach and Clatsop Spit near Astoria. Newport’s Yaquina Head got only a 54 mph rush of wind just before noon.

Still, the wind was enough to cause power outages in Portland, Hillsboro and in various places on the coast, while creating some dangerous situations with fallen trees all over the coastal region and on the routes to the coast. One tree hung precariously on a few power lines along Highway 26 in the morning.

“Big winds and low barometric pressure,” said Newport’s Guy DiTorrice, who took numerous photographs of the tidal melee for BeachConnection.net.

Windswept beach at Seaside (photo Boothe)

It was all enough to cause the National Weather Service to extend its high surf warning until 10 p.m. Monday night.

In Gearhart, parts of the roof were torn off the firehouse. The winds were strong enough at the Ecola State Park Headland to cause officials to shut down the park. A tree blocked the roads there for a time and stranded some visitors.

In Manzanita, San Dune Inn owner Brian Hines found his metal bird sculpture – called “Ethel – knocked down. “A pretty good barometer of wind gusts is whether Ethel stays standing,” Hines said. “She was flat out in the parking lot when I opened up.”

“Cool storm,” said Trollers Lodge owner Peg Leoni, looking out over her perch in Depoe Bay. “Power was off and on a couple of times here, the longest outage was an hour.”

The surf was so strong Monday it reached up to the cliffs at the northern end of Newport (photo: Guy DiTorrice)

DiTorrice said there wasn’t a lot to report in Newport, except for some pretty spectacular wave action. “Surf buildup was minimal, as long ocean swells were pretty well flattened before hitting the beaches,” DiTorrice said. “The max recorded wave height at the Stonewall Banks - just NW of Newport - was 33 feet, again around 11. Very frothy surf with plenty of foam on the beaches throughout the day.”

Since 1 p.m., the wind has died down, he said, but the surf is still broiling. “Not aware of any reported landslide or other land movement damage in the immediate area.”

Waves during something rare in Seaside: lapping at the Turnaround

In Cannon Beach, power was out for a few hours but restored to most businesses by around noon. In Seaside, Seaside Aquarium’s Tiffany Boothe said the power went out only briefly, but the downed trees were the big story.

“Quite a few trees went down, including one large tree on 2nd Ave., which blocked the road to the aquarium for a few hours,” she said. “Despite all of this excitement some were still more interested in what the aquarium had to offer than the spectacle outside.”

At the Seaside Turnaround, things got interesting – just as manager Keith Chandler had predicted on Sunday. A somewhat rare sight: waves started lapping at the Turnaround, which is normally a good 100 –300 feet away from the tide line.

Winds tossed the swingset around with ferocity on Seaside's beach (photo Boothe)

Michele Franck, owner of Oregon Beach House Rentals on the central coast, was nothing short of excited. “Let the winter begin,” she said. “The waves were reaching the seawall at Sea Gypsy Condos and roiling in upstream under Kyllo's Restaurant. What an amazing view. Just stay off of Highway 101. Downed trees caused traffic backups, as usual.”

In Depoe Bay, Carole Barkhurst runs the visitor center, but had the day off. In that area, she witnessed what she called the most incredible bird show she’d ever seen.

“Because of the high wind and rain, hundreds of pelicans, sea gulls, ducks, geese, and other species all settled in the keys just north of Immonen Road,” she said. “A birder was there who explained birds and understands weather much better than we do. He realized the situation was like a typhoon to them.

"They were clustered close together on logs, sand bars, and in the water. During the height of the storm none of them took off and there was not a sound from them. They floated in groups always facing the wind. As they moved too far in one direction they would correct, and a different pelican would be in front. There were three distinct types of pelican which I had heard of but never saw before. I watched for over two hours and the show was worth it.

Big waves smack Yaquina Head in Newport (photo DiTorrice)

“Humans were in awe. Cars would stop to watch, take pictures, but mostly just observe.”

Weiss’ Paradise Suites owner Donna Weiss had just come through the gauntlet of the coast range, returning to Seaside from Portland. She said the wind had calmed by 1 p.m., but it left its mark along Highway 26.

“I did notice that there were several areas where trees and limbs had fallen,” she said. “Some road crews were still working as we came over highway 26, but traffic is moving along just fine. People need to drive carefully during high winds and rain. The fallen leaves are also very dangerous. Drivers need to be alert and not follow too close to the car in front of them.”

Inn at Cannon Beach. Beautifully wooded natural setting at quiet south end of Cannon Beach. Great during winter storms with a new book by the fireplace – or when the sun is out for family fun and beach strolling. Handsome beach cottage-style architecture. Lush flowering gardens and naturalized courtyard pond. Warm, inviting guest rooms. Continental buffet breakfast. Warm Cookies. Family and Pet Friendly. Welcome gifts. Smoke-free. Complimentary Wireless Connectivity. Wine and book signing events. 800-321-6304 or 503-436-9085. Hemlock At Surfcrest, Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.atcannonbeach.com.

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