Thousands in the Puget Sound region without power after strong windstorm
Nov 12, 2015, 7:12 AM | Updated: Nov 13, 2015, 8:52 am
The National Weather Service says "very windy conditions" will develop for King and Snohomish counties. (MyNorthwest File)
(MyNorthwest File)
Wet roads and wind increased travel times for Puget Sound drivers Friday morning.
The Washington State Department of Transportation reported standing water on roadways across the region, causing “lots of collisions,” in addition to stalls.
Lots of collisions, stalls, wet roads, wind and high travel times out there. Leave early, be safe, watch your speed.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) November 13, 2015
Heavy congestion was reported on northbound and southbound I-5 approaching Seattle. Congestion on I-405 into Bellevue also impacted commute times.
Flood warnings are in effect on several rivers.
The Skykomish River went beyond flood stage around 8 a.m. More than nine inches of rain fell in the Olympic Mountains, according to the National Weather Service.
Adding to the storm’s impact, the number of people without power in the Puget Sound region surged upward between Thursday night and Friday morning.
Though Puget Sound Energy initially reported just over 3,000 people were without power early Friday morning, that number doubled by 7 a.m.
At 7:08 a.m., 6,919 PSE customers were without power, according to the company’s outage map. That number dropped to 5,819 by 8:30 a.m. About 3,000 PSE customers were without power in Bellevue.
A Wind Advisory remains in effective through 4:00 p.m. Friday across Western Washington. A wind advisory for Seattle is in effect until 10 a.m.
Check outages in your area:
Seattle City Light
Puget Sound Energy
Snohomish PUD
Tacoma Power
Meteorologists say the strongest winds are expected to be southerly 20 to 35 MPH with gusts to 45 MPH, meaning trees could topple and branches could snap off. Winds could gust to 55 miles an hour at times through Friday afternoon.
Winds that strong can “make driving difficult,” the NWS reports.
Enough rain is expected through Sunday to cause flooding in areas of Northwest Washington.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch Thursday morning for several counties, including King and Snohomish. That watch was extended through Sunday.
“Rainfall this heavy would cause flooding on many area rivers.”
Flooding was likely to be more widespread on Friday.
If the rain continues through Sunday, that means a wet game for the Seahawks when they return from their bye to face the 6-2 Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field. With Ricardo Lockette out and Luke Willson limited, the Seahawks need whatever help they can get on the field. Maybe a wet field will limit the pass rush the Hawks can expect from the Cardinals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
