High winds are blowing in

Get your flashlights ready. Tie down loose objects in your back yard. Pay attention to weather forecasts.

A wind storm is expected to hit Snohomish and Island counties this morning, and officials on Sunday were encouraging people to prepare.

“We will get some power outages,” said Johnny Burg, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Winds are forecast to begin kicking up around 10 a.m. in Snohomish County, Burg said. Steady winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph are expected. The storm also should bring some rain, but no flooding is expected.

“The wind will be a major concern,” Burg said.

Winds are expected to die down around 4 p.m.

The storm is expected to be similar to one that arrived in October, knocking down trees and at one point leaving 85,000 people in Snohomish County without electricity.

Government employees will have today off because Sunday was Veterans Day. But Sno­homish County PUD crews will be on standby to fix power outages as they occur, said Neil Neroutsos, spokesman for the district.

“We have crews ready to go on a moment of notice,” Neroutsos said.

A high wind warning was issued on Sunday evening for parts of Island County, San Juan Island, western Whatcom County and western Skagit County, where steady winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts of up to 60 mph are expected. Such warnings mean the storm will hit the region.

The weather service also issued a high wind watch for Snohomish County, Burg said. That means the storm could reach the county.

“This is a typical winter storm we get,” he said.

Last fall, floods, strong winds and storms stranded people and felled power lines in Snohomish County, causing more than $20 million damage.

This year’s long-range forecast calls for a wetter winter and probable flooding, according to the weather service.

Experts recommend people make a disaster plan, have necessary supplies and secure their belongings before the bad weather arrives.