Winds knock out trees, power in Whatcom County, but flood watch canceled

HANNAH BOSTWICK AND ZOE FRALEY - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

E-Mail

Print Reprint

Text Size:

tool goes here

Strong winds with gusts up to 54 mph battered Whatcom County Thursday, Nov. 5, causing scattered power outages throughout the county.

Winds hovered between 20 and 30 mph throughout Thursday, with gusts in the 40s and 50s, according to official numbers recorded at Bellingham International Airport.

Puget Sound Energy reported scattered outages throughout Whatcom County Thursday, but specific numbers and locations weren't available because the storm was ongoing, said a PSE spokeswoman.

PHILIP A. DWYER | THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Check the latest weather forecast

Public works crews were busy sandbagging to prepare for possible flooding along the Nooksack River and responding to calls of trees and branches brought down by the wind, said Public Works employee Pam Jones.

Winds were expected to die down overnight.

A flood watch for Whatcom County was canceled at about 1:45 p.m. because the rain was no longer forecasted to be heavy enough for rivers to reach their flood stage. Forecasts still call for plenty of rain starting Friday and lasting through the weekend, so those living near the Nooksack River should keep an eye out.

"Rivers will still increase their levels, so people should be aware of that," said Johnny Burg, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

The Nooksack River was within one foot of flood levels at Cedarville and near the South Fork at Saxon Bridge, said James Lee, river and flood engineer for Whatcom County Public Works.

To prevent urban flooding, residents should make sure storm drains near their homes are clear of leaves and other debris, Lee said.