United States Earthquakes, 1961

By James F. Lander and William K. Cloud, 1963, U.S. Department of Commerce, Coast and Geodetic Survey, U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 28-32.
	WASHINGTON AND OREGON
(120th MERIDIAN OR PACIFIC STANDARD TIME)

January 3: 17:47*. Epicenter 46 degrees 00' north,
	122 degrees 10' west, about 10 miles southeast of Cougar,
	Wash. (Skamania County), S. Amboy (Che-
	latchie Ranger Station). IV. Slow, 1-second
	shock felt by several and frightened few in home.
	Walls creaked. Also felt at Cougar (Swift Dam
	Powerhouse, about 5 1/2 miles east of Cougar).
January 3: 23:26:01*. Epicenter 46 degrees 00'
	north, 122 degrees 05' west, 15 miles south-southeast of
	Mt. St. Helens, Wash. (Skamania County), S.
	Felt over an area of approximately 2,000 square
	miles of southwestern Washington, principally in
	Clark and Skamania Counties. Maximum inten-
	sity (damage) V.
    INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V:
       Amboy (about 20 miles southwest of epicenter).-
	Felt by several and frightened few in community.
	Furnishings shifted. Sharp motion, lasted 3
	seconds; some said it felt and sounded like a car
	hit the house.
       North Bonneville.-Felt by and awakened all in
	home. Hanging objects swung. Sudden, blast-
	like 2-second shock; moderate earth noises from
	northwest heard; "whooshing" sound after initial
	shock.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV: Carson, Cougar and
	vicinity (slight tremors before and since), Steven-
	son, Woodland (4 miles east of), and Yacolt.
	Also felt at Battle Ground (no details).
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV IN OREGON: Portland
 	(West Hills area).
January 5: Between 18:00 and 19:00. Epi-
	center 46 degrees north, 122 degrees 10' west, about 10
	miles southeast of Cougar, Wash., S. Felt at the
	Swift Dam Powerhouse (about 5 1/2 miles east of
	Cougar) and at the Merwin Dam (about 10 miles
	southwest of Swift Dam).
February 1: 21:50:13*. Epicenter a few
	miles west of Longmire in Mt. Rainier National
	Park, Wash., S. Longmire. V. Felt by all.
	Set off snow avalanches in the mountains. Win-
	dows and doors rattled. Rapid, 4-6 second
	shock in north direction.
February 5: Between 14:00 and 15:00. Epi-
	center about 10 miles southeast of Cougar, Wash.,
	S. Two light shocks felt by observer at Swift
	Dam Powerhouse (about 5 1/2 miles east of Cougar).
February 9: 21:55. Light shock felt by two
	at Swift Dam Powerhouse (about 5 1/2 miles east
	of Cougar, Wash.).
February 21: 00:35. Light shock felt at
	Swift Dam Powerhouse (about 5 1/2 miles east of
	Cougar, Wash.).
May 21: 17:58:50*. Entiat, Wash. IV.
	Felt by many in community; frightened few in
	home. Windows rattled; hanging objects swung.
	Rapid, 15-second shock. Slightly felt at Wenat-
	chee by observer and wife sitting. Motion slow,
	lasted few seconds. It was reported the shock
	was due to impounding of water in newly created
	Lake Entiat at Rocky Reach Dam and Hydro-
	electric Plant (about 10 miles upstream from
	Wenatchee on the Columbia River). Recorded
	at Seattle, Longmire, and Tumwater Seismo-
	graph Stations.
May 25: 21:51. Washington. IV. Felt
	by several; awakened and frightened few at
	Merwin, Swift, and Yale dams in the Cougar-
	Ariel areas. Windows and dishes rattled; rapid
	motion, duration 10 seconds. At Longmire,
	felt by observer sitting. Windows rattled; rapid,
	1-3 second shock in east-west direction; faint
	earth noises from east heard. Felt in home and
	community at Morton, where dishes rattled;
	rapid, 2-second shock.
June 1: 20:05. Cougar, Wash. (Swift Dam,
	about 5 1/2 miles east of Cougar). III. Slight
	shock felt by three persons.
June 28: 02:22:44*. Wenatchee (Rocky
	Reach Dam), Wash. IV. Felt by several and
	awakened few. Doors rattled; rapid and slow
	motion, duration 10 seconds. Recorded at
	Seattle, Longmire, and Tumwater, Wash. This
	disturbance was also believed due to impounding
	of water in the newly created Lake Entiat at
	Rocky Reach Dam.
July 28: 06:52:44*. Swift Dam, Wash. (about
	5 1/2 miles east of Cougar). IV. Felt by several;
	awakened few. Windows, doors, and dishes
	rattled. Also felt at Yale Dam (about 8 miles
	southwest of Cougar).
August 18: 20:56:24.1 (main shock) and 21:06.
	Epicenter 44.7 degrees north, 122.5 degrees west,
	northwestern Oregon, W. Magnitude 4.5. Felt over
	an area of approximately 7,000 square miles of north-
	western Oregon. Reported felt from Oakridge,
	Oreg., in southwest Lane County, north to areas
	along the Lewis River in Cowlitz County, Wash.,
	a distance of about 160 miles. It was reported
	not felt in the coastal areas. Maximum in-
	tensity (damage) VI at Albany and Lebanon,
	where minor damage occurred.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) VI:
      Albany.-Generally felt. Plaster wall cracks
	reported by some residents.
      Lebanon (about 10 miles southeast of Albany).-
	Felt by all. Two traffic lights, suspended over
	intersections, fell; five signs fell; two house
	chimneys toppled; store windows broken.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V: Keizer (about 5 miles
	north of Salem), Salem (two shocks felt), and
	Sublimity (about 15 miles southeast of Salem).
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV: Blue River area
	(about 25 miles northeast of Eugene), Detroit,
	Eugene, Oakridge (about 30 miles southeast o
	Eugene), Portland, and Silverton (about 13
	miles northeast of Salem).
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV IN WASHINGTON: Ariel
	Cougar areas at Merwin, Swift, and Yale Dams.
	Also felt (no details) at Corvallis, Mill City,
	Scio, and Sweet Home, Oregon.
September 9: (about). Roosevelt, Wash.
	One person reported feeling a shock about
	week previous to September 15.
September 15: 19:25:00*, 22:48, 22:50. Epi
	center 45 degrees 58' north, 122 degrees 10' west,
	southeast of Cougar, Wash., in Gifford Pinchot
	National Park, S. Felt over an area of approximately
	7,000 square miles of southwestern Washington
	and northwestern Oregon. (See map, p. 30.)
	Maximum intensity (damage) VI at Swift Dam
	(about 5 1/2 miles east of Cougar). No damage
	reported.
 1961 Isoseismal Map
	INTENSITY (DAMAGE) VI:
          Swift Dam (about 5 1/2 miles east of Cougar).-
	Felt by all and frightened many in community.
	Small objects overturned; knickknacks fell.
	Trees, bushes shaken strongly. Hanging objects
	swung east-west. Rapid, 20-second shock in
	east-west direction. Also hard jolt felt at 22:48;
	hard jolts rattled objects JD house at 22:50.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) v: Amboy, Brush Prairie,
	Cougar (Lewis Ranger Station), Government
	Mineral Springs (about 15 miles northwest of
	Carson), Heisson, North Bonneville, and
	Stevenson.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V IN OREGON: Corbett
	(midway up Larch Mountain).
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV: Ajlune, Appleton
	(6 miles south of), Ashford, Battle Ground,
	Bingen, Cathlamet, Cook (5 miles west of),
	Curtis, Eatonville, Glenoma, Klickitat, Kosmos,
	La Center, Mayfield, Mineral, Morton, Mossy-
	rock, Orchards, Packwood, Puyallup, Randle and
	Randle Ranger Station, Ridgefield, Toledo (1
	mile northeast of), Vancouver, and Yacolt.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV IN OREGON: Bonne-
	ville, Clatskanie, Fairview, Government Camp,
	Oregon City, Portland, Rainier, Sandy, and
	Scappoose-
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III: Ariel, Camas,
	Carrolls (near, on Columbia River), Castle Rock,
	Chehalis, Cinebar, Elbe, Husum, Longview,
	Richland (Hanford Atomic Works), Salkum,
	Seattle, Silver Creek, Skamania, Spanaway,
	Toutle and Spirit Lake Ranger Station, White
	Salmon, Washougal (also felt shock around
	midnight), and White Swan.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III IN OREGON:
	Albany, Brightwood, Deer Island, Detroit,
	Gresham, Newberg, Odell, Vernonia, and Zigzag.
September 16: 03:45, 04:28. Aftershocks of
	September 15 at 19:25:00*. Washington. Am-
	boy. V. Felt by and frightened many in
	community. Windows, doors, and dishes rat-
	tled; walls creaked. Hanging objects swung
	north-south. Rapid, 6-second shock. Felt by
	observer lying down at the Lewis River Ranger
	Station (Cougar), where windows, doors, and
	dishes rattled; rapid, 10-second shock. Sharp,
	hard jolts, followed by light quivering, felt at
	Swift Dam (about 5 1/2 miles east of Cougar);
	light shock felt at 04:28. Slight, abrupt shock
	awakened observer from light sleep at Battle
	Ground. At Klickatat: "Noise heard in a.m."
September 17: 07:55:58* (principal after-
	shock of September 15 at 19:25:00*), 08:12,
08:34. Epicenter 45 degrees 58' north, 122 degrees 
	10' west, southeast of Cougar, Wash., in Gifford
	Pinchot
	National Park, S. Felt over an area of approxi-
	mately 9,000 square miles of southwestern Wash-
	ington and northwestern Oregon. Maximum
	intensity (damage) VI. Slight damage reported
	at few towns along the Columbia River.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) VI:
     Cougar (Lewis River Ranger Station).-Felt by
	all in community; awakened and frightened few.
	Small objects shifted; vases, etc., overturned.
	Hanging objects swung north. Rapid motion;
	lasted 20 seconds; moderate earth noises heard.
     North Bonneville.-Felt by all in community.
	Old house shifted on foundation about 1 inch.
	Small objects shifted. Automobile rocked
	strongly. Rapid, 5-second shock in west-east
	direction; moderate earth noises from west
	heard by many 1 second before shock.
     Stevenson.-Felt by all and frightened few in
	community. Damage slight. Chimneys and
	cement foundations cracked; basement floor
	cracked. Wood stove moved 6 inches. Plate
	glass windows "rippled like Rags." Small
	objects and furnishings shifted. Rapid, 2-second
	shock; moderate earth noises heard by many
	about 1/2 second before shock.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) VI IN OREGON:
     Latourell Falls.-Felt by and frightened all in
	community. Few cracks in heavy cement-
	block basement foundation (dirt floor in base-
	ment). Trees, bushes shaken strongly; entire
	house shaken strongly; hanging objects swung
	east-west. Rapid motion in east-west direction,
	long duration; loud earth noises from east-west,
	like thunder or approaching train, heard by
	many before shock.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) v: Amboy, Ariel (Mer-
	win Dam), Carson and Hemlock Ranger Station
	about 10 miles northwest of Carson, Cook,
	Seattle, Swift Dam (about 5y2 miles east of
	Cougar; also booming earth noises heard at
	08:12; moderate tremor at 08:34), Washougal,
	and Yale Dam (about 8 miles southwest of
	Cougar) .
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V IN OREGON: Bridal
	Veil, Hillsboro, Manning (near), Parkdale, and
	Portland.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV: Kosmos, La Center,
	Mayfield, Mossyrock, Packwood, Randle and
	Randle Ranger Station, Skamania, Vancouver,
	and White Salmon.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV IN OREGON: Aurora,
	Beaverton, Brightwood, Buxton, Clackamas,
	Deer Island, Government Camp, Hood River,
	Mulino, Newberg, Odell, Rhododendron, Scap-
	poose, The Dalles, Troutdale, Zigzag, and
	Yamhill.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III: Appleton (2
	miles north of), Castle Rock, Elbe, Frances,
	Glenorna, Mineral, Raymond (3 miles west of),
	and Troutlake (3 miles southwest of).
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III IN OREGON:
	Bonneville, Columbia City, Corbett, Corvallis,
	Fairview, Gaston, Monitor, Saint Helens, Sher-
	wood, Timber (about 35 miles northwest of
	Portland), and Woodburn.
October 30: 19:35. Epicenter 48 degrees 25' north,
	120 degrees 00' west, 17 miles west of Okanogan, S.
	Felt over an area of approximately 1,200 square
	miles of Okanogan County, Wash. Maximum
	intensity (damage) V at three places.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V:
     Conconully.-Felt by all; frightened few.
	Windows and dishes rattled. Rapid, brief,
	explosivelike shock; moderate earth noises heard
	by many.
     Malott.-Felt by all in community; frightened
	few. Rapid, 30-second shock, beginning with
	blastlike motion followed by short period of
	shaking; loud earth noises heard.
     Methow.-Felt by all in community. Windows
	doors, and dishes rattled. Felt like large object
	hit side of house, "Motion like a terrific far-off
	blast."
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV: Brewster, Okanogan,
	Omak (north section), Riverside, Synarep, and
	Winthrop (3 miles south of).
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III: Carlton.
November 6: 17:29:10*. Epicenter 45 degrees 40'
	north, 122 degrees 52' west about, 15 miles northwest of
	downtown Portland, Oreg., S. Felt over an
	area of approximately 9,000 square miles of
	northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.
	Maximum intensity (damage) VI at Portland
	and four other towns. Slight plaster cracking
	was the principal damage reported. Some
	persons thought this was the sharpest shock
	felt in Portland since April 13, 1949.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) VI:
     Portland.-Generally felt; frightened many.
	Damage slight. Plaster cracked; part of brick
	chimney fell; interior lights broken; door frames
	jammed; water fountain sprung leak. Stock
	fell from shelves in grocery stores; small objects
	and furnishings shifted. Trees, bushes shaken
	strongly. Window "rippled like waves." Loud
	earth noises from northwest, west-east, and north
	heard; various directions of motion-south-
	west, west-east, and east-west.
     Glenwood (about 25 miles west by north of Port-
	land.-Felt by all in community. Concrete-
	block foundation of service station broken where
	blocks join. Store building rocked. Loud rumb-
	ling earth noises, like several noisy trucks passing,
	from northeast heard by many.
     Milwaukee (about 10 miles southeast of Portland
	city center.-Felt by all in community. Heavy
	porch roof on house undergoing repairs and
	remodeling fell about 18:30. Small objects and
	furnishings shifted. Rapid, 1-minute shock
	faint earth noises heard.
     Scappoose (about 20 miles north by west
	Portland).-Felt by all; awakened and frightened
	few in community. Damage slight (no details).
	Trees, bushes shaken slightly. Rapid, 5-second
	shock in northeast direction; faint earth noises
	from northeast heard by many.
     Vernonia (about 32 miles northwest of Port-
	land).-Felt by all and frightened few in com
	munity. Damage slight. Windows broken.
	Small objects shifted; knickknacks fell. Trees,
	bushes shaken moderately. Hanging objects
	swung east-west. Rapid, 7-10 second shock
	moderate rumbling earth noises heard by many
	during shock.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V: Banks, Brightwood,
	Columbia City, Deer Creek (Merrill Creek Road,
	l 1/2 miles from Deer Creek), Dundee, Eagle Creek,
	Estacada (7 miles east of), Gresham, North
	Plains, Oregon City, Orenco, Rainier, Rhodo-
	dendron, Tillamook, Timber, and West Linn.
	INTENSITY (DAMAGE) V IN WASHINGTON: Camas,
	La Center, Vancouver, and Woodland.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE,) IV: Aloha, Birkenfeld,
	Bonneville, Buxton, Clackamas, Clifton, Clover-
	dale, Corbett, Detroit, Forest Grove, Garibaldi,
	Gaston, Gates, Goble, Government Camp,
	Hillsboro, Jewell, Lake Oswego, Latourell Falls,
	Manning, Marquam, Molalla, Mount Hood,
	Mulino, Netarts, Odell, Pacific City, Saint
	Helens, Sandy, Scotts Mills, Sherwood, Trout-
	dale, Tualatin, Warren, Westport, and Yamhill.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) IV IN WASHINGTON: Am-
	boy, Battle Ground, Bingen, Brush Prairie,
	Carrolls, Carson, Castle Rock, Cook, Cougar,
	Heisson, Home Valley, Husum, Kalama, Kelso,
	Longview, North Bonneville, Orchards, Ridge-
	field, Ryderwood, Skamokawa, Stevenson,
	Toutle, Underwood, Washougal, White Salmon,
	and Yacolt.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III: Beaver, Beaver-
	creek, Boring, Brownsmead, Canby, Cannon
	Beach, Donald, Fairview, Hood River, Nehalem,
	Neskowin, Rockaway, Saint Helens, Tigard,
	Wilsonville, and Woodburn.
   INTENSITY (DAMAGE) I TO III IN WASHINGTON:
 	Ariel and Cathlamet.
November 7: 09:53 and 10:05. Spokane,
	Wash. Press reported Spokane was jarred by
	shocks of local source. Recorded at Mt. St.
	Michael's east of Spokane.
November 7: 13:30. Oregon and Washing-
	ton. Portland. V. Press reported the shock
	was felt principally in Portland and surrounding
	areas. Calls were received from all parts of the
	city, but few persons in the downtown area felt
	it. Pictures tilted on walls and china clinked in
	various parts of the city. TV slid across floor.
	Also felt at Vancouver and Washougal, Wash.
	Other slighter tremors felt during the afternoon.
November 30: 00:13- Epicenter 47 degrees 38'
	north, 122 degrees 28' west, in Puget Sound Channel of
	Magnolia section of Seattle, S. Felt over a
	small area. IV. At Bellevue, felt by all in
	home (awake). Windows and doors rattled;
	house creaked; rapid, 10-second shock; direction
	seemed south-north. Felt by observer lying
	down at Bothell, where frame creaked; rapid,
	3-second shock in north direction. At Bremer-
	ton, felt by and frightened all in home; walls
	creaked; seemed to be one brief south-north
	shake, with none of the usual trembling motion
	after shake. At Kirkland, rapid, 2-second shock
	felt by observer lying down; windows rattled;
	moderate earth noises heard 1 second before
	shock. At Mercer Island (northwest end), felt
	by observer lying down; frame creaked; rapid
	motion; faint earth noises heard. At Seattle,
	press reported calls were received from the
	Magnolia and Queen Anne Hills sections. House
	creaked; doors rattled and swung; bed shaken
	slightly. Motion rapid and slow, lasted from
	2-3 seconds to 2 minutes; direction east-west.
	Felt by all in home at Woodinville, where
	windows rattled. Felt by several in home and
	awakened few at Redmond. At Renton (near
	racetrack west of Renton), engineers believed
	the shock was responsible for a sudden drop of
	about 1.0 inch in a 15 by 20 foot fill. Also felt
	at Kingston.
December 16: (a.m.) Portland, Oreg. Press
	reported a slight shock was felt in Portland
	"early today."


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