Unusual windstorm creates chaos across Snohomish County

EVERETT — Strong winds Saturday toppled trees, knocked down power lines and stretched emergency responders and repair crews thin across the county.

Snohomish County PUD reported more than 175,000 people without power by 4 p.m. Officials urged patience and warned people to expect long outages as crews worked to clear fallen debris and restore power.

The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning. Sustained winds of 44 mph were recorded at Paine Field along with gusts of 61 mph.

“This is a storm that is unusual this time of year,” meteorologist Johnny Burg said. “With trees still in leaves that can catch the wind and possibly in a weakened state due to the drought, the winds can be a little more damaging.”

The storm’s effects could be seen on major highways and in rural neighborhoods. Calls came in from around the county as fire, police and public works crews prioritized, focusing first on areas where fallen trees and live power lines were an immediate hazard.

A steady stream of calls about power lines down and trees into buildings came in for firefighters in south Snohomish County, said Greg Westerman, a battalion chief with Snohomish County Fire District 1. It was more than crews could handle at once and they had a backlog by late afternoon. Firefighters put barricades in front of live wires and cleared hazardous debris as soon as possible.

“It’s pretty standard for a big wind event,” Westerman said. “Just a lot of trees and power lines down, a lot of people without power. Same as is happening in the whole area.”

Crews removed a large tree that blocked I-5 North in Lynnwood and backed up traffic for miles. No one was injured when the tree fell, Washington State Trooper Mark Francis said, but one car was damaged. Stormy weather and debris on roads ups the risk of collisions. By 3:30 p.m., troopers had responded to a dozen crashes in Snohomish County, Francis said.

The Everett Fire Department called in some extra crews to keep up with the volume of wind-related calls, Fire Marshal Rick Robinson said. They received numerous reports of downed power lines and one call for a boater caught in the storm.

“The entire city has been impacted by the high velocity winds,” Robinson said. “We’ve had trees and power lines down all over.”

Some people couldn’t drive in and out of their neighborhoods. Trees blocked off streets after crashing through power lines and leaving a dangerous mix of wires, trunk and branches strewn across the road.

A tree came down half a block from Eric Berglund’s home on Sunnyside Boulevard in Marysville. A police officer blocked off the road while neighbors waited for crews to clear the mess.

“It looks like a 100-foot tree and right in the middle of it, at about the 50-foot mark, it bent the power lines all the way down to the ground,” Berglund said.

The wind also knocked down part of his fence and scattered about a dozen shingles from his neighbor’s roof across his yard. With the power out and the wind still blowing, he decided to spend Saturday afternoon indoors and wait for a safer time to fix the fence.

Near Mariner High School in Everett, Eugene Shaverda’s neighbors kept stopping by to look at a tree that came down near his house.

“We had two cars parked by the garage and if it fell a little more to the right it would have hit them,” he said. “Everyone has been stopping by to look at it. It’s quite a sight.”

Breezy weather and rain showers are expected Sunday and heading into the work week. No more wind storms are forecast in the near future, said Burg, with the National Weather Service. Storms are more common later in the year.

“This is a good example of what to prepare for this fall and winter,” he said.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.