The Columbus Day Storm of 1962 was a freak of nature, a weather outlier with deadly winds topping 100 miles per hour. The storm killed dozens, injured hundreds, damaged more than 50,000 homes, and leveled enough timber to build one million homes. To find an equally ferocious storm of its kind, fast-forward 50 years and cross the continent to Superstorm Sandy’s 2012 attack on the East Coast. While Superstorm Sandy was predicted days in advance, the Columbus Day Storm caught ill-equipped weather forecasters by surprise.

Nine years ago, Whatcom Community College's Community and Continuing Education and Village Books launched the Chuckanut Writers Conference with the theme Inspiration into Action. We’re pleased to return on Friday and Saturday, June 21 and 22, 2019, to continue our mission—to profoundly inspire your writing life. In support of this mission, we’ve gathered a renowned faculty and developed a dynamic program with an unwavering commitment to excellence. We invite you to take part in this unique event, one we hope you’ll remember for years to come.