Power outages remain but windstorm spares most of Puget Sound
Oct 14, 2016, 12:30 PM | Updated: Dec 14, 2016, 11:36 am
(WSDOT)
Outage information:
Puget Sound Energy
Seattle City Light
Snohomish PUD
Tacoma Power
Thousands prepared for what was being called the storm of the decade, but the damage and outages around Puget Sound was minimal.
Read the full play-by-play below:
[8:34 p.m.] Anyone disappointed?
Please be advised that NWS Seattle has cancelled the high wind warning for the Southwest Interior, including Everett and vicinity.
— Everett Fire WA (@EverettFire) October 16, 2016
[8:22 p.m.] HOV lane on I-5 northbound at West Seattle Bridge is closed due to water over the roadway.
[8:07 p.m.] Outage update: Puget Sound Energy reports 17,000 people without power. Snohomish County PUD reports 9,000 (mostly in Silver Lake area of Everett, Brier and Bothell), Seattle City Light has 1,400 and Tacoma Power has under 100.
[8:03 p.m.] A weather station in Bellingham reportedly clocked a wind gust at 52.6 mph and sustained winds at 37 mph about 15 minutes ago.
[7:57 p.m.] Seattle looks to be out of the woods for damaging winds:
Seattle metro to the south, gusts will generally be under 40 MPH the rest of the evening. Threat for damaging winds is greatly diminished.
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) October 16, 2016
[7:44 p.m.] Wind starting to pick up in Redmond. National Weather Service says “the storm track does not favor Seattle area for damaging winds.”
[7:29 p.m.] Wind is picking up in Lynnwood.
[7:24 p.m.] Power is out in Bothell:
Most overhead street lights on SR 522 are out within the Bothell City limits. It’s dark out there; use caution. https://t.co/8hg6BCh1SA pic.twitter.com/UgprrFTHap
— City of Bothell (@CityofBothell) October 16, 2016
[7:12 p.m.] On I-5 northbound just north of Michigan St there is a collision blocking the two center lanes.
Collision on northbound I-5 just south of Spokane St is blocking the two left lanes. pic.twitter.com/Grv48G6wZp
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) October 16, 2016
[7:11 p.m.] Power outages include: PSE – 17K, Seattle City Light – 4200, Snohomish PUD – under 1,000, Tacoma power – under 100
[7:05 p.m.] Some good news:
Power has been restored to ~3,000 customers in SE Seattle.
— Seattle City Light (@SEACityLight) October 16, 2016
[7:03 p.m.] Strong winds reported around JBLM. Heavy downpour expected in the Eastside.
[6:53 p.m.]
Tree down at apartment in Sedro Wooley. Crews chainsawing it in clean-up efforts. #wawx pic.twitter.com/VZuFmmblUr
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) October 16, 2016
[6:42 p.m.] Windstorm arrives in downtown Seattle, bringing with it a heavy downpour.
[6:31 p.m.] While dark and stormy in Seattle, gorgeous sunset reported on Washington coast. Check out the coastal webcams.
[6:20 p.m.] Peak gust in Seattle is 40 mph. About 20K people without power between PSE and Seattle City Light.
[6:12 p.m.] About 3,000 people are without power in South Seattle. Cause: Downed tree.
[6:02 p.m.]
Line of heavy showers will move thru #Bremerton now. Will move towards #Seattle and #Everett areas next hour. Was some lightning earlier
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) October 16, 2016
[5:47 p.m.] Large tree falls onto apartment building in Sedro-Woolley.
[5:36 p.m.] NWS: Torrential rain, small hail and gusts across Hood Canal area.
[5:04 p.m.] Morgan Palmer: Gusts are starting to rise, with 40 mph at Sea-Tac Airport.
[4:49 p.m.] Debris blocking on NB SR 503 near 365th Street at mp 15 in Vancouver, Wash. area.
[4:27 p.m.] Gas leak at Lacey home after tree fell on home. Residents evacuated.
E33/E34 currently on scene. Tree into a house with gas leak. Thankfully, no injuries. Home evacuated. pic.twitter.com/SvXAKTgbG9
— Lacey Fire (@LaceyFireDist3) October 15, 2016
[3:47 p.m.] Power outages across the Puget Sound region increase to more than 10,000 customers.
[3:43 p.m.] National Weather Service: Wind the big story but the nearly half inch of rain ( 0.47″ ) in last half hour in Hoquiam.
satellite loop noon to 3:40 shows the low center just west of the clear break nearing the north Washington coast pic.twitter.com/kS4P7eHne7
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) October 15, 2016
[3:25 p.m.] KIRO 7 meteorologist Morgan Palmer: The potent storm moving past the Washington coast this afternoon is slightly weaker and slightly farther offshore than a “worst case” impact to Western Washington. But KIRO 7 Pinpoint Meteorologist Morgan Palmer says the effect with power loss, damage and disruption is still expected to be the worst since 2006. KIRO 7 meteorologists still believe the disruption to power, travel as well as tree and structural damage will be the worst the region has seen since the “Hanukkah Eve Storm” of December 2006. Wind gust speeds will be lower than in that historic storm, but that 2006 event occurred without many trees having foliage.
[3:20 p.m.] Comcast is opening its more than 20,000 XFINITY Wifi hotspots, free of charge, throughout the region to help residents and first responders stay connected through the storms that are currently hitting Washington State. For a map of XFINITY WiFi hotspots. visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. This video demonstrates how to sign into an Xfinity WiFi Hotspot.
[3:10 p.m.] City of Seattle Emergency Operations Center activated Mayor Ed Murray activated the center at 3 P.M. today to provide support for City agencies ahead of the severe storm that is predicted to impact the Seattle area this afternoon and evening.
[2:30 p.m.] All Seattle Public Libraries closed
Puget Sound Energy reports that crews are “making progress” toward restoring power to customers impacted by damaging winds that hit our service area Friday. They expect power to be restored in Whatcom, Skagit and Island Counties before midnight Sunday, and Kitsap County by noon Sunday. That may change depending on the damage created by the expected second storm.
Related: Will this Washington storm repeat history
See KIRO 7’s doppler:
Emergency crews in Seattle responded to injuries related to the storm on Friday. A 4-year-old boy was rushed to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries, and his father suffered minor injuries, after a tree branch fell and struck them in West Seattle.
Fallen trees are being reported around the Puget Sound region.
Tree crushed 4 cars in Kirkland… owners not inside at the time… BUT fire firefighters say it is unsafe to remove the tree right now pic.twitter.com/oSJJU5zhzz
— Henry Rosoff (@HenryKIRO7) October 14, 2016
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