Excellent Storm Watching Destination - The Long Beach Peninsula

Storm watching on the coast of Washington is an experience that those who choose to participate will never forget. Over the years, we've had numerous people flock to the the coast to greet Mother Nature as she falls upon the mainland.

After having moved up to the Pacific Northwest from sunny Southern California, it didn't quite make sense to me why anyone would want to come to the beach during a storm. After having experienced many storms since moving here in 1996, I can tell you first hand that it's phenomenal.

The surf gets turned up and the waves at sea are often 25' high. Sustained winds have been over 120mph with gusts of wind topping out at 145mph. The root system on our trees are very shallow, resulting in many trees falling over. The trees often hit the power lines on their way down, bringing the peninsula to it's knees while having to live by candle light for a handful of hours to days.

The locals use the term "hunkering down" in reference to riding out the storm. But the greatest part of all of this is just after the storm has passed. One can find many treasures when going out to the beach to experience beach combing.

There are Japanese glass floats that get brought in from the high sea and if you get out early enough, you may just be one of the lucky ones who finds one of these beauties! The driftwood is piled high along the dunes and many have found great fun in building a "beach cabin" out of the driftwood in the dunes for others to enjoy.

As the manager of a resort on the Long Beach Peninsula, I can recall having a full house during one of these storms. All of us knew what was in store and sure enough, the power went out for 24 hours. The group that stayed with us that weekend couldn't have been a friendlier group. They were all Boy Scout Troop Leaders and had a blast!

So bring your Coleman stove, ice chest, extra blankets, candles and your camera. We've got the cozy room with a great view so you can see first hand when the storm makes her grand entrance. Light a fire in the fireplace, get your candles ready and enjoy something that we locals look forward to each year!

By : Sabrina_Coffin