Thousands Hit by Power Outages as ‘Damaging’ Winds Strike West Coast

More than 100,000 people across Washington and Oregon were without power Tuesday morning after strong winds struck the Pacific Northwest.

Why It Matters

The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that strong wind gusts could be a danger to people and vehicles. It also warned of the possibility for property or tree damage, adding that particularly strong winds could make driving difficult, especially for trucks and other high-profile vehicles.

What To Know

As of 12:40 a.m. PT, more than 42,000 customers were experiencing power outages in Washington, with a further 76,000 without power in Oregon, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks disruptions.

At the time of writing, most outages in Oregon were concentrated in the northwestern region of the state.

There were more than 21,000 disruptions in Clackamas County alone, more than 8,000 in Tillamook and almost 7,000 in Clatsop.

There were also about 7,500 in Washington County, more than 4,000 in Marion County and about 3,500 in Yamhill County.

In Washington, Snohomish County recorded 14,095 outages, Pierce County almost 9,000 and Thurston County more than 7,000.

In King County, there were almost 11,000, and in Lewis County, almost 5,000.

The NWS issued high wind warnings for the area, signaling that “high wind speeds may pose a hazard.”

The weather service said Central Oregon could expect winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts between 45 and 60 mph.

In Washington’s central coast and north coast, 30 to 35 mph winds with gust up to 55 to 70 mph were possible, it said.

Areas around Bremerton and Seattle could see gusts up to 60 mph.

The NWS said, “Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.”

What People Are Saying

NWS Portland wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday: “Strong winds are expected this afternoon through early Tue morning. Please prepare for these winds, as they could potentially down trees, make driving more difficult, and cause power outages. Prepare for the worst in case of a power outage.”

NWS Seattle wrote on X on Monday: “South winds will begin to increase rapidly over the next few hours across Puget Sound. Wind gusts will peak at 40-55 MPH for most areas, with localized gusts up to 60 MPH possible. Stronger winds expected along the coast, especially for coastal Grays Harbor County.”

Shannon O’Donnell, the chief meteorologist at KOMO News in Seattle, wrote on X on Tuesday: “Winds peaking so far near 50 in the Sound and 70 near the beaches, but we’ll enjoy a much quieter Tuesday and beautiful ‘touch of spring’ Wednesday around the region.”

What Happens Next

At the time of writing, the latest high wind warnings for Oregon were in place until 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The latest for Washington were in effect until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

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