Over 100,000 Without Power as Violent Pacific Storm Batters Western Washington
A powerful cold front brought 77 mph wind gusts to Western Washington, leaving over 100,000 without electricity and resulting in one tragic fatality.
POLICY WIRE — Seattle, Washington — More than 100,000 residents across Western Washington lost electricity on Saturday evening as a formidable cold front thundered through the region.
The severe weather system hammered the coastline with intense winds and heavy rainfall throughout late afternoon and night, with the central coast bearing the hardest hit.
In Hoquiam, weather stations documented hours of wind gusts ranging between 50 and 60 mph. Multiple gusts exceeded 65 mph, with two separate peaks that reached 69 mph.
The intensity of the storm resulted in gusts as high as 77 mph in certain areas, leading to widespread devastation across the state.
Thousands of individuals found themselves in darkness on Sunday morning after the gale-force winds uprooted trees and severed power lines across the landscape.
Seattle experienced a massive grid failure as Pacific-driven winds swept across the coastline, causing significant damage to local infrastructure.
Puget Sound Energy indicated that more than 50,000 of its customers were without service as of 1:15 p.m. during the peak of the event.
Tragically, the storm claimed one life; a man died near Roy after a tree fell on him.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
