Thousands in WA without power due to late-spring wind storm

Wild weather knocks out power for thousands

A late-spring wind storm left thousands of customers without power Monday across Western Washington.

SEATTLE - A late-spring windstorm left thousands of customers without power Monday across Western Washington.

The storm, driven by a powerful atmospheric river on Sunday, brought near-record rainfall totals and strong winds throughout the region.

Utility crews worked to restore power to many areas on Monday, but some were warned that they may be without electricity for an extended period. Emergency services are urging residents to avoid any downed power lines. In King County, tens of thousands of customers woke up in the dark Monday.

Customers impacted by outages as of 4:45 p.m.:

Puget Sound Energy: 4,525
Seattle City Light: 14,808
Snohomish County PUD: 14,309
Tacoma Public Utilities: 78

The Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) says they had 15 crews out restoring service, and they'll continue to monitor the weather and additional outages.

Puget Sound Energy and Seattle City Light told the public to prepare for more windy conditions Tuesday night and have flashlights, charging batteries, and emergency kits ready, just in case.

The Red Cross also reminds families to practice food safety when experiencing power outages.

"Food in your refrigerator can stay cold for up to four hours if you keep it closed, the frozen 48 hours," said Betsy Robertson with the Red Cross Northwest Region.

Fallen trees in Western Washington

After 8 a.m., Eastside Fire and Rescue reported crews at the scene of a downed tree and power lines in the 6100 block of 92nd Avenue Southeast on Mercer Island.

In Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, there were reports of a tree down and blocking on 15th Avenue East at East Prostpect Street. The Seattle Department of Transportation are asking people to use caution when in the area.

Downed trees across Western Washington

There are thousands of outages throughout Western Washington and multiple neighborhoods have downed trees.

Multiple trees and power lines were down throughout the Snohomish County. Crews responded to a report of a tree into a house with power lines down and a fully-involved fire off 44th Street Northeast in Lake Stevens.

State Route 11 in Bellingham was closed at Soundview Road for a fallen tree. Troopers are at the scene and the Washington Department of Transportation are asking drivers to take alternate routes and prepare for delays.

After 4 a.m. Monday, trees were down on State Route 106 near North Tribal Center Road. It blocked parts of the roadway. Crews cleared the roadway less than an hour later.

Trees and power lines in South Seattle were also knocked down due to the strong winds.

Monday's latest forecast

According to FOX 13 meteorologists, the heaviest rain is expected to last into Monday morning and again from Monday night into Tuesday morning. Residents are advised to watch for standing water on the roads and possible localized flooding.

A Flood Watch is in effect until early Wednesday morning, with minor flood stages possible for some of the region's flood-prone rivers. The continuous rain, combined with strong winds, has resulted in numerous downed trees and power lines, exacerbating the power outage situation.

The atmospheric river is expected to continue bringing heavy rain and strong winds through Tuesday morning, with a potential for minor flooding in low-lying areas. Residents in flood-prone areas should be prepared and have an emergency plan in place.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.