PORTLAND, Ore. — It may have been a calm start to the week in Portland, but it’s a different scene just as you head east into the Columbia River Gorge. At Crown Point, they saw hurricane-force wind gusts over the weekend, and earlier Monday they were peaking at around 70 mph.
There’s a reason why people flock to the Vista House, to be able to catch the natural beauty, and of course catch the natural wind tunnel of the Columbia River Gorge.
“A family friend recommended it, the local forecast said it would be a little windy, but we weren’t expecting this,” said A.J. Leighton, who was visiting the Gorge for the first time with his family from North Carolina.
Much like other families who visited the Vista House Monday, the Leighton’s were caught off guard by how the winds made the trees bend as if they were rubber.
“When we walked up I thought I was going to fall over, so I ran into one of the nooks up there, but this was fun," said Michelle Leighton.
People were trying everything they could to stay on their feet, they huddled close to the ground and some tried as best as they could to find some cover. At times, the winds were manageable, but for a good part of the day, winds were clocking in at freeway speeds or higher. Even people who had been through hurricanes before were shocked about how strong the winds were blowing.
While many at least attempted to battle the winds, we found other families like the Silvas who were visiting from California decided pretty quickly after getting out of their car that it wasn’t worth it.