The Great Coastal Gale of 2007 from Coastal Storms Program Buoy 46089

During the first three days of December 2007, a series of powerful coastal storms and an associated wave approached the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia in rapid succession. The winter storms pummeled the states with a maximum 220 kilometers per hour gust along the coast and generated the first-ever hurricane warning in the Pacific Northwest by the National Weather Service. The Coastal Storms Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had the National Data Buoy Center deploy a three meter discuss buoy 150 kilometers west of Tillamook, OR to monitor just this type of storm. The buoy was moored in 2200 meters of water in 2005. Although two other buoys closer to the coast were torn from their moorings, the CSP Tillamook buoy remained on station and reported wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, waves, and currents throughout the storms. Water temperature and a redundant wind sensor failed during 3 December. The redundant wind sensor failed as the winds approached 23 m/s. The buoy survived storm generated significant wave heights that exceeded 14 meters and remained on station and reporting until the buoy was recovered in February 2008. Upon recovery, it was discovered that the wind fin that orients the buoy into the wind was bent against the buoy structure, resulting in stress fractures in the metal at several locations. Waves and currents continued to be measured and transmitted during and after the storm. The data are presented in an effort to determine the impact of waves and buoy motion on current profile data.