Strong winds in western Washington leave thousands in the dark

Strong winds caused significant disruptions in western Washington, leaving thousands without power after a tumultuous weekend. The storm primarily affected Snohomish County, where nearly 40,000 residents experienced outages overnight. Utility companies, including Puget Sound Energy, mobilized crews to address the situation, working tirelessly to restore power to impacted areas. By early Saturday afternoon, power had been restored to most customers, with only about 80 homes still without electricity. The outages were attributed to a combination of high winds and the season's first atmospheric river event, which brought severe weather conditions.

Areas such as Echo Lake, Edmonds, and Monroe were among the hardest hit, leading utility crews to prioritize restoration efforts there. The National Weather Service had issued wind advisories, warning of potential hazards from falling trees and branches. Officials continue to monitor the situation as isolated impacts to power lines and trees remain a possibility in regions experiencing the strongest winds.