Mountain’s Wind Record Bows To Typhoon’s 236 Mph Gust

Thu., Dec. 18, 1997

Boston Globe

New Hampshire’s Mount Washington may have to give up its famous boast of being “home of the worst weather in the world.”

The mountain’s claim to fame as the site of the strongest wind gust ever measured - 231 mph on April 12, 1934 - was toppled Tuesday night as a Pacific typhoon rocked Guam with 236 mph gusts.

Besides breaking a 63-year-old record that has long been an offbeat source of Yankee pride, Typhoon Paka caused at least $100 million in damage to the U.S. territory of 150,000 people, Guam Gov. Carl Gutierrez said Wednesday.

At Mount Washington, weather observers who work atop the 6,288-foot peak were philosophical.

Said observer Sarah Curtis: “We’ll just have to try again.”

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Mountain’s Wind Record Bows To Typhoon’s 236 Mph Gust

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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