Sig Unander ’87 Gives Presentation on 1962 Columbus Day Storm in Forest Grove

Sig Unander ’87 recently gave a presentation on the infamous Columbus Day Storm at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, inviting those who experienced its destruction to come forward and share their stories. The tropical cyclone in 1962 devastated the Pacific Northwest, with winds reaching 100 miles per hour. It destroyed buildings, uprooted trees, and left over a million people without power for several weeks. 

Enlisting the help of a Pacific archivist, he found old photos and discovered the only book written about the storm, coincidentally by a Pacific alum. He is a local author and former city councilor for Cornelius, Ore. He is currently working on a narrative nonfiction about Claire Philips, an American spy who worked in the Japanese-occupied Philippines during WWII.