100+ mph Gorge Winds (Jan. 7, 2010)

The news said the wind was strong up at Crown Point, just outside Portland, OR at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge, but certainly not THIS strong! My friend Amber and I drove up there to see for ourselves, and wind gusts were recorded as high as 101 mph = 163 km/h = 45.2 m/s... Strong enough to blow KGW NewsChannel8 news reporter Keely Chalmers off her feet! Thankfully, she wasn't hurt; her falls looks harder than it actually was. Sustained winds were about 70 mph.

This is absolutely the strongest wind I have ever experienced. This is only a half hour's drive from home.

Some video footage compliments of Amber Brosius, and KGW NewsChannel 8.

Full news video here: http://www.kgw.com/news/Freezing-rain-possible-in-Gorge-Thursday-night-809312...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• 100
• 101
• mph
• insane
• crazy
• strong
• heavy
• wind
• winds
• gust
• gusts
• Columbia
• River
• Gorge
• Crown
• Point
• Vista
• House
• Portland
• Corbett
• Oregon
• KGW
• News
• Channel
• Keely
• Chalmers
• reporter
• blown
• away
• over
• off
• her
• feet
• knocked
• down
• stairs
• fall
• falls
• fail

[DHugunin]

You can always tell the TRUE Oregonians. Whenever there is a storm on the way, we head for the Gorge, or to the Coast.

[W7ENK]

@DHugunin Born and raised, and never lived outside the state! :)

[MaximusZTS]

Where do all the birds go in wind like that?

[W7ENK]

@MaximusZTS I think they all get blown out of the mountains and down into the valley... ^_^ j/k. I believe they hunker down in the forest. Not really sure, actually, I've never thought about that.

[BassLaunch]

You're welcome.

Ive been up there once before in winds like that maybe even slightly stronger. I judge this based on viewing how they were being pushed around. Im a big dude and the winds that night blew me up the stairs slamming me into the Vista House windows! SO try to imagine that. I figure the winds that night were 110+mph based on when I left my house it was gusting 50-55mph and mesowest observations showed Corbett gusting 70+mph.

[W7ENK]

Nice... I'll bet that hurt! I'm wondering if those windows aren't made of bulletproof glass or something ... they'd almost have to be!

BTW - I just looked at Mark Nelson's Fox 12 Weather Blog, but I didn't find a link to my video? Maybe it was taken down because of the KGW footage in it? Who knows...

Have fun up there on Monday (if you go)! I'll be visiting my Dad in Vancouver.

[mrsportywrestlingwwe]

if you are a blink 182 fan look at the likes

[COD4SNIPER2]

well, I know its a little different. But I have sat upright on my R1(motorcycle) at over 150mph. But I was holding on to something. I think it would be cool to play in the wind from this video, unless its cold.

[j3f2c1]

those high heels rule in the wind.

[ammarhio]

@W7ENK Most birds fly out of the area before the gusts

[UltraGiygas]

i wish we had winds like this in cartersville...

[windwmx78]

Last year on Jan. 17, 2009 I caught one at 108 mph at night. This year on the 25th at about 10:30 at night, I caught one at 107 mph! I used a Maximum Vigiliant 2-S Anemometer with 0-120 range. Its interesting to see how people don't even really know how strong it is and then they get out of their cars parked in the wrong direction, bending/breaking the doors.

Great Video!