Winds up to 100 mph in the Hanukkah Eve storm

In 2006, the Hanukkah Eve Wind Storm struck Western Washington. This weekend will mark the highly impactful storm from 18 years ago. On the evening of Dec. 14 into early Dec. 15, the storm plowed through the region with southerly wind gusts up to 100 mph.

Thousands of trees were blown down, knocking out power to over 1.8 million people and producing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. The storm destroyed about 70% of Puget Sound Energy’s infrastructure and inflicted considerable damage to other utility power lines and poles, including Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power and Snohomish County PUD. Some people did not get their power back until Christmas Day.

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The storm resulted in 15 deaths, four of them directly from the storm and 11 in the days that followed from carbon monoxide poisoning. Thanks to the cold and lack of power, some people used barbeques and other heating and cooking elements indoors, causing the tragic post-storm deaths. Hundreds were also poisoned and hospitalized.

The recent bomb cyclone was the latest intense, powerful wind event that historically occurs about every 10 to 20 years. The strong winds blowing westward out of the Cascade passes resulted in about 660,000 people losing power, mainly in areas closer to the Cascade foothills, such as Woodinville, Lake Stevens, the Sammamish Plateau, Bellevue, Enumclaw and Bonney Lake. Two people lost their lives from downed trees.

Perfect holiday gift ideas for weather enthusiasts: CoCoRaHS gear, weather radios, home stations

The wind storm season is not over; it usually runs from October to March. It is always time to prepare for these powerful storms with extra supplies like non-perishable food, water, prescriptions, cash and other necessities at home and in the car. Backup power generators are a great idea, yet they must be properly ventilated outdoors. Visit ready.gov or the American Red Cross’ preparedness website for helpful tips that can make wonderful holiday gifts for loved ones.

To stay on top of North Sound weather, monitor Mynorthwest, the National Weather Service web page and your local all-hazards NOAA Weather Radio station at 162.55 MHz, 162.475 or 162.425 MHz. A NOAA Weather Radio receiver would also make a thoughtful holiday gift providing immediate notification of weather warnings and other local emergency warning messages from local emergency management authorities, as well as features like battery backup, AM/FM radio, USB ports to charge cell phones and accessories to help the deaf and hard of hearing.

Remember, when you are weather aware, you are weather prepared.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.