One of many Western Washington roads covered by fallen trees caused by the 1962 Columbus Day Storm. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives)

Mid-October weather around here typically means a cloudy or rainy day, mild temperatures and barely any wind. But longtime Washington residents also remember that the weather can turn deadly this time of year.

Oct. 12 is the anniversary of what was called the worst weather disaster to hit Washington in the 20th Century. The Columbus Day Storm in 1962 struck the Pacific Coast from San Francisco north to Washington and British Columbia. The storm killed 47 people, including nine in Washington. Gale-force winds up to 150 mph were recorded early in the storm before power outages disabled the wind-measuring instruments. The storm blew down 17 billion board feet of timber, much of it on the Olympic Peninsula.

The first of our three Archives Treasures for October is the collection of documents and photos related to the Columbus Day Storm. It includes the above image from the State Archives’ State Transportation Department photo collection showing the massive storm’s aftermath. This was one of the many roads covered by fallen trees.

Other documents include this telegram from Gov. Albert Rosellini to President John F. Kennedy, dated Oct. 17, 1962,  requesting the federal government to declare Western Washington a disaster area. This letter back from Kennedy to Rosellini, dated Oct. 19, 1962, noted that federal agencies were “giving priority attention to the conditions resulting from the recent storms in your state.”

Another interesting document from the infamous storm is this barograph reading on the day of the Columbus Day Storm, which shows the barometric pressure in Western Washington that day reaching below 29, a sure sign of violent weather.